What It All Means

5/13/2026

A Day In Heaven = 1000 Years On Earth
2 Peter 3:8–9 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. On Earth / In Heaven 1 Day = 1440 Minutes / 1 Day = 1000 Years 1 Minute = .00069444444 Day / 1 Day = 1000 x 365 Days = 365,000 Days 1 Minute = 254 Days 10 Minutes = 2540 Days 10 Minutes = 7 Years 100 Minutes = 70 Years

A Day In Heaven = 1000 Years On Earth

2 Peter 3:8–9
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
On Earth / In Heaven
1 Day = 1440 Minutes / 1 Day = 1000 Years
1 Minute = .00069444444 Day / 1 Day = 1000 x 365 Days = 365,000 Days
1 Minute = 254 Days
10 Minutes = 2540 Days
10 Minutes = 7 Years
100 Minutes = 70 Years

5/12/2026

Anthropic Principle
Anthropic means “relating to human beings or their existence.” Principle means “law.” The Anthropic Principle is the Law of Human Existence. It is well known that our existence in this universe depends on numerous cosmological constants and parameters whose numerical values must fall within a very narrow range of values. If even a single variable were off, even slightly, we would not exist. The extreme improbability that so many variables would align so auspiciously in our favor merely by chance has led some scientists and philosophers to propose instead that it was God who providentially engineered the universe to suit our specific needs. This is the Anthropic Principle: that the universe appears to have been fine-tuned for our existence. Consider protons, for example. Protons are the positively charged subatomic particles which (along with neutrons) form the nucleus of an atom (around which negatively charged electrons orbit). Whether by providence or fortuitous luck (depending on your perspective), protons just happen to be 1,836 times larger than electrons. If they were a little bigger or a little smaller, we would not exist (because atoms could not form the molecules we require). So how did protons end up being 1,836 times larger than electrons? Why not 100 times larger or 100,000 times? Why not smaller? Of all the possible variables, how did protons end up being just the right size? Was it luck or contrivance? Or how is it that protons carry a positive electrical charge equal to that of the negatively charged electrons? If protons did not balance electrons and vice versa, we would not exist. They are not comparable in size, yet they are perfectly balanced. Did nature just stumble upon such a propitious relationship, or did God ordain it for our sakes? Here are some examples of how the Anthropic Principle directly affects the livability of our planet: The unique properties of water. Every known life form depends on water. Thankfully, unlike every other substance known to man, water’s solid form (ice) is less dense than its liquid form. This causes ice to float. If ice did not float, our planet would experience runaway freezing. Other important properties of water include its solvency, cohesiveness, adhesiveness and other thermal properties. Earth’s atmosphere. If there were too much of just one of the many gases which make up our atmosphere, our planet would suffer a runaway greenhouse effect. On the other hand, if there were not enough of these gases, life on this planet would be devastated by cosmic radiation. Earth’s reflectivity or “albedo” (the total amount of light reflected off the planet versus the total amount of light absorbed). If Earth’s albedo were much greater than it is now, we would experience runaway freezing. If it were much less than it is, we would experience a runaway greenhouse effect. Earth’s magnetic field. If it were much weaker, our planet would be devastated by cosmic radiation. If it were much stronger, we would be devastated by severe electromagnetic storms. Earth’s place in the solar system. If we were much further from the sun, our planet’s water would freeze. If we were much closer, it would boil. This is just one of numerous examples of how our privileged place in the solar system allows for life on Earth. Our solar system’s place in the galaxy. Once again, there are numerous examples of this. For instance, if our solar system were too close to the center of our galaxy, or to any of the spiral arms at its edge, or any cluster of stars, for that matter, our planet would be devastated by cosmic radiation. The color of our sun. If the sun were much redder, on the one hand, or bluer, on the other, photosynthesis would be impeded. Photosynthesis is a natural biochemical process crucial to life on Earth. The above list is by no means exhaustive. It is just a small sample of the many factors which must be just right in order for life to exist on Earth. We are very fortunate to live on a privileged planet in a privileged solar system in a privileged galaxy in a privileged universe. The question for us now is, with so many universal constants and cosmological parameters defining our universe, and with so many possible variables for each one, how did they all just happen to fall within the extremely narrow range of values required for our existence? The general consensus is that we are either here by fortuitous luck against tremendous odds or by the purposeful design of an intelligent Agent. Some proponents of the here-by-chance perspective have sought to level the odds against fortuitous luck by hypothesizing a scenario whereby our universe is just one among many in what has come to be termed a “multiverse.” This gives nature many more chances to “get it right,” bringing the odds against its success down significantly. Imagine innumerable lifeless universes in which one or more of the necessary variables fail to fall within the specific range of values required for life. The idea is that nature would eventually get it right, and apparently has done so as evidenced by the fact that we exist (or so the argument goes). We are the lucky ones whose universe stumbled upon the right combination of cosmological values. The Anthropic Principle is often cited as empirical grounds for the otherwise mathematically hypothetical multiverse. Intelligent Design theorists hail the Anthropic Principle as further evidence in support of their thesis that life was engineered by a transcendent Mastermind. Not only do biological systems bear the hallmarks of design (the information content of DNA, specified complexity, irreducible complexity, etc.), but the universe which supports and provides a context for life appears to have been designed as a means to that end.

Anthropic Principle

Anthropic means “relating to human beings or their existence.” Principle means “law.” The Anthropic Principle is the Law of Human Existence. It is well known that our existence in this universe depends on numerous cosmological constants and parameters whose numerical values must fall within a very narrow range of values. If even a single variable were off, even slightly, we would not exist. The extreme improbability that so many variables would align so auspiciously in our favor merely by chance has led some scientists and philosophers to propose instead that it was God who providentially engineered the universe to suit our specific needs. This is the Anthropic Principle: that the universe appears to have been fine-tuned for our existence.

Consider protons, for example. Protons are the positively charged subatomic particles which (along with neutrons) form the nucleus of an atom (around which negatively charged electrons orbit). Whether by providence or fortuitous luck (depending on your perspective), protons just happen to be 1,836 times larger than electrons. If they were a little bigger or a little smaller, we would not exist (because atoms could not form the molecules we require). So how did protons end up being 1,836 times larger than electrons? Why not 100 times larger or 100,000 times? Why not smaller? Of all the possible variables, how did protons end up being just the right size? Was it luck or contrivance?

Or how is it that protons carry a positive electrical charge equal to that of the negatively charged electrons? If protons did not balance electrons and vice versa, we would not exist. They are not comparable in size, yet they are perfectly balanced. Did nature just stumble upon such a propitious relationship, or did God ordain it for our sakes?

Here are some examples of how the Anthropic Principle directly affects the livability of our planet:

The unique properties of water. Every known life form depends on water. Thankfully, unlike every other substance known to man, water’s solid form (ice) is less dense than its liquid form. This causes ice to float. If ice did not float, our planet would experience runaway freezing. Other important properties of water include its solvency, cohesiveness, adhesiveness and other thermal properties.

Earth’s atmosphere. If there were too much of just one of the many gases which make up our atmosphere, our planet would suffer a runaway greenhouse effect. On the other hand, if there were not enough of these gases, life on this planet would be devastated by cosmic radiation.

Earth’s reflectivity or “albedo” (the total amount of light reflected off the planet versus the total amount of light absorbed). If Earth’s albedo were much greater than it is now, we would experience runaway freezing. If it were much less than it is, we would experience a runaway greenhouse effect.

Earth’s magnetic field. If it were much weaker, our planet would be devastated by cosmic radiation. If it were much stronger, we would be devastated by severe electromagnetic storms.

Earth’s place in the solar system. If we were much further from the sun, our planet’s water would freeze. If we were much closer, it would boil. This is just one of numerous examples of how our privileged place in the solar system allows for life on Earth.

Our solar system’s place in the galaxy. Once again, there are numerous examples of this. For instance, if our solar system were too close to the center of our galaxy, or to any of the spiral arms at its edge, or any cluster of stars, for that matter, our planet would be devastated by cosmic radiation.

The color of our sun. If the sun were much redder, on the one hand, or bluer, on the other, photosynthesis would be impeded. Photosynthesis is a natural biochemical process crucial to life on Earth.

The above list is by no means exhaustive. It is just a small sample of the many factors which must be just right in order for life to exist on Earth. We are very fortunate to live on a privileged planet in a privileged solar system in a privileged galaxy in a privileged universe.

The question for us now is, with so many universal constants and cosmological parameters defining our universe, and with so many possible variables for each one, how did they all just happen to fall within the extremely narrow range of values required for our existence? The general consensus is that we are either here by fortuitous luck against tremendous odds or by the purposeful design of an intelligent Agent.

Some proponents of the here-by-chance perspective have sought to level the odds against fortuitous luck by hypothesizing a scenario whereby our universe is just one among many in what has come to be termed a “multiverse.” This gives nature many more chances to “get it right,” bringing the odds against its success down significantly.

Imagine innumerable lifeless universes in which one or more of the necessary variables fail to fall within the specific range of values required for life. The idea is that nature would eventually get it right, and apparently has done so as evidenced by the fact that we exist (or so the argument goes). We are the lucky ones whose universe stumbled upon the right combination of cosmological values. The Anthropic Principle is often cited as empirical grounds for the otherwise mathematically hypothetical multiverse.

Intelligent Design theorists hail the Anthropic Principle as further evidence in support of their thesis that life was engineered by a transcendent Mastermind. Not only do biological systems bear the hallmarks of design (the information content of DNA, specified complexity, irreducible complexity, etc.), but the universe which supports and provides a context for life appears to have been designed as a means to that end.

5/11/2026

Scripture Is God-Given Truth
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 The difficult times in which we live will try everything possible to persuade us to doubt God’s Word. Science, philosophy, psychology, and sometimes even shades of theology will be held out as proof that “people no longer accept the Bible as inspired.” But they do. Paul did. So did Jesus. Many of us still do. While there are numerous objective facts that support, and some would even argue prove, that the Bible is inspired, in the end we each find ourselves kneeling by a stump and trusting the wisdom of our infinite God over the limitations of human intellect. Without apology, without embarrassment, and without committing intellectual suicide, we believe by faith that God’s Word is what it says it is. An awakened church stands firm on the inspired Word of God. The Bible declares its inspiration: “All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). The words all Scripture literally mean “every individual writing.” That’s every word in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. And to the degree that our modern translations accurately render the original text, they, too, are authoritative. All Scripture. That means that all parts are equally inspired. If you carry a red-letter edition, the text in red isn’t more inspired than the black print surrounding it. The red letters represent the words of Jesus, but they are no more inspired than the Epistles of Paul, the writings of Moses, or the book of Revelation. The written Word of God comprises all Scripture. That includes the Old Testament, by the way. Just because you’re a Christian doesn’t mean that the Gospel of Luke is more inspired than the book of Leviticus. You may have to work harder to glean the timeless truths from Leviticus, but they are just as relevant for you. Why? Because Leviticus—and all Scripture—is “inspired by God.” By Pastor Chuck Swindoll

Scripture Is God-Given Truth

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16–17

The difficult times in which we live will try everything possible to persuade us to doubt God’s Word. Science, philosophy, psychology, and sometimes even shades of theology will be held out as proof that “people no longer accept the Bible as inspired.” But they do. Paul did. So did Jesus. Many of us still do.

While there are numerous objective facts that support, and some would even argue prove, that the Bible is inspired, in the end we each find ourselves kneeling by a stump and trusting the wisdom of our infinite God over the limitations of human intellect. Without apology, without embarrassment, and without committing intellectual suicide, we believe by faith that God’s Word is what it says it is. An awakened church stands firm on the inspired Word of God.

The Bible declares its inspiration: “All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). The words all Scripture literally mean “every individual writing.” That’s every word in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. And to the degree that our modern translations accurately render the original text, they, too, are authoritative. All Scripture. That means that all parts are equally inspired.

If you carry a red-letter edition, the text in red isn’t more inspired than the black print surrounding it. The red letters represent the words of Jesus, but they are no more inspired than the Epistles of Paul, the writings of Moses, or the book of Revelation. The written Word of God comprises all Scripture. That includes the Old Testament, by the way. Just because you’re a Christian doesn’t mean that the Gospel of Luke is more inspired than the book of Leviticus. You may have to work harder to glean the timeless truths from Leviticus, but they are just as relevant for you. Why? Because Leviticus—and all Scripture—is “inspired by God.”

By Pastor Chuck Swindoll

5/10/2026

The Honeybee
One reason many scientists reject evolution is that it’s impossible to explain even the simplest of the incredible designs we find in creation as the work of a mindless, impersonal force. Imagine the challenge of explaining the many specialized features of the honeybee as the work of no one! The honeybee has compound eyes that enable it to navigate by the sun even on cloudy days because it has a built-in polarized light filter. The honeybee’s antennae contain both their sense of smell and sense of touch. For this reason, they must be carefully cleaned. So the honeybees have special grooves in their front legs that are perfectly designed to clean them. The honeybees also have hairs on their body to collect pollen and baskets on their rear legs to carry it. And they have special glands for producing, shaping and cleaning off wax. When one returns home with news of a good pollen source, the honeybee has a language that it can use to tell the others about it! Not only is the honeybee a huge collection of special features united together, but they also live in a hive that unites thousands of individuals so that they all work together like a single organism! It simply goes against everything we know from science to suppose that millions of years of unplanned accidents could design and build the honeybee!

The Honeybee

One reason many scientists reject evolution is that it’s impossible to explain even the simplest of the incredible designs we find in creation as the work of a mindless, impersonal force. Imagine the challenge of explaining the many specialized features of the honeybee as the work of no one!

The honeybee has compound eyes that enable it to navigate by the sun even on cloudy days because it has a built-in polarized light filter. The honeybee’s antennae contain both their sense of smell and sense of touch. For this reason, they must be carefully cleaned. So the honeybees have special grooves in their front legs that are perfectly designed to clean them.

The honeybees also have hairs on their body to collect pollen and baskets on their rear legs to carry it. And they have special glands for producing, shaping and cleaning off wax. When one returns home with news of a good pollen source, the honeybee has a language that it can use to tell the others about it!

Not only is the honeybee a huge collection of special features united together, but they also live in a hive that unites thousands of individuals so that they all work together like a single organism! It simply goes against everything we know from science to suppose that millions of years of unplanned accidents could design and build the honeybee!

5/9/2026

Bible Prophecy & Probabilty
What chance is there when it comes to the laws of probability? If you answer, “Not much!” you are right, because the laws of probability are carefully defined and calculated mathematically. There is no real element of chance whatsoever. For example, take a coin and toss it in the air. If the coin is perfectly balanced, it has a one-in-two chance of coming up heads, right? Now, what chance is there in its coming up heads twice in a row? The odds are one in four. Again, what chance is there of the coin coming up heads three times in a row? If you answer, “A chance in eight,” you are right, and I suspect you have given this matter some thought on previous occasions. Now, with this in mind, let me ask you another question‑‑one which you may not have considered. Have you ever applied the laws of chance or probability to the remarkable prophecies which were made prior to the coming of Jesus Christ to earth? Have you ever considered the fact that there were well over 300 prophecies made before Jesus ever came? What chance was there that these could just have happened? There were three prophecies, at least, over which Jesus Christ had absolutely no control‑‑the place where He was born (Micah 5:2), the time of His birth (Daniel 9:25), and the manner in which He was born (Isaiah 7:14). The chance of these three being fulfilled, if it were as simple as tossing a coin in the air, would be one in 8, but the chances of these three prophecies just happening are astronomical. For example, have you ever considered the element of chance in Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem, as Micah predicted 500 years before Jesus was born? The scenario of this event came many years before, when Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C. and his grandnephew, Augustus, became Caesar. When Augustus wanted to beautify the empire, he decided to tax the citizens of the empire, and, as Luke tells us, “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed” (Luke 2:1, KJV). The timing of Jesus’ birth includes the pace at which the wind blew the ship carrying the centurion across the Mediterranean, the speed at which the order was posted in Palestine, and even the pace at which the donkey moved, which brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. All of this, of course, had to be coordinated with the timing of her pregnancy. Had any of these events which I mentioned taken only a few days sooner or longer‑‑say, for instance, had the winds which bore the ship blown a bit more sharply‑‑Jesus would have been born in Nazareth, where Joseph lived, rather than in Bethlehem. You begin to see immediately that the chance of just three of these prophecies happening is remarkable; yet I said that there were well over 300 prophecies relating to the life of Jesus Christ, and according to the laws of probability, it just couldn’t have happened. You see, when God detailed the circumstances relating to the coming of His Son, He was making the odds so great that it was absolutely impossible for them to have “just happened.” In the Old Testament, God said that if a prophecy wasn’t fulfilled in every detail, that prophet was a false prophet and forfeited his right to live. God viewed false predictions as a very serious matter. When Jesus was here, He made it plain that every detail of prophecy had to be fulfilled. “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18). The probability of these things “just happening” is an absurd impossibility. Think about it. Dr. Charles Ryrie, an authority of Bible prophecy, says, “Someone has calculated that actually there are more than 300 prophecies concerning various aspects of the first coming of Christ. We can assuredly say that no one could possibly have made this number of accurate predictions by chance. “But God did it, through His prophets, and the evidence is in the Bible for all to see and believe. There are many other equally specific prophecies in both the Old and the New Testaments which have also been fulfilled exactly as predicted. Add all these in with the ones we have referred to, and the improbability of their coming to pass increases at a fantastic rate, to a point beyond any possible comprehension.” Another scholar says that there are 332 prophecies relating to Jesus Christ, 61 of which are major prophecies. To help you grasp the immense improbability of these being fulfilled by chance, let me give you something to think about. Let’s begin by pondering the possibility of just eight of those being fulfilled. One college math class that investigated this possibility concluded that it would be one possibility in ten to the 17th power. Here’s another way to grasp this. If you are living in Asia, think of the island of Luzon—the largest of the 7000 islands in the Philippines. If you are living in the U.S. think of the largest state in the continental United States–Texas. If, however, you covered either with silver dollars or pesos two feet deep, and one of those coins was marked with a red “X”, the probability of diving into that pile and coming up with the coin marked with a red X would be the same as even eight of those prophecies being fulfilled. Now, let me take this one step further. The chance that anyone would fulfill 48 of those prophecies, to say nothing of the other 265, would be one in ten raised to the 157th power. Here’s another mind-boggling illustration. If you had a ball of electrons the size of our universe (which is 6 billion light-years in radius), and you could make these balls at the rate of 500 per minute for 6 billion years (the estimated time of the existence of our universe), and you could do this 100 billion times over, you would have the chance factor of one person fulfilling even 48 of these prophecies. Frankly, that is more than I can really grasp. When Jesus was here, He had a keen sense of understanding that He was fulfilling the prophecies of old. Repeatedly He would say, “This was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying…” and Jesus would document the quote. The average person has little understanding of the complexity of prophecies and their importance when it comes to documenting what Jesus did. Immediately before the crucifixion, Jesus said, “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He” (John 13:19).

Bible Prophecy & Probabilty

What chance is there when it comes to the laws of probability? If you answer, “Not much!” you are right, because the laws of probability are carefully defined and calculated mathematically. There is no real element of chance whatsoever. For example, take a coin and toss it in the air. If the coin is perfectly balanced, it has a one-in-two chance of coming up heads, right? Now, what chance is there in its coming up heads twice in a row? The odds are one in four. Again, what chance is there of the coin coming up heads three times in a row? If you answer, “A chance in eight,” you are right, and I suspect you have given this matter some thought on previous occasions.

Now, with this in mind, let me ask you another question‑‑one which you may not have considered. Have you ever applied the laws of chance or probability to the remarkable prophecies which were made prior to the coming of Jesus Christ to earth? Have you ever considered the fact that there were well over 300 prophecies made before Jesus ever came? What chance was there that these could just have happened? There were three prophecies, at least, over which Jesus Christ had absolutely no control‑‑the place where He was born (Micah 5:2), the time of His birth (Daniel 9:25), and the manner in which He was born (Isaiah 7:14). The chance of these three being fulfilled, if it were as simple as tossing a coin in the air, would be one in 8, but the chances of these three prophecies just happening are astronomical.

For example, have you ever considered the element of chance in Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem, as Micah predicted 500 years before Jesus was born? The scenario of this event came many years before, when Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C. and his grandnephew, Augustus, became Caesar. When Augustus wanted to beautify the empire, he decided to tax the citizens of the empire, and, as Luke tells us, “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed” (Luke 2:1, KJV).

The timing of Jesus’ birth includes the pace at which the wind blew the ship carrying the centurion across the Mediterranean, the speed at which the order was posted in Palestine, and even the pace at which the donkey moved, which brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. All of this, of course, had to be coordinated with the timing of her pregnancy. Had any of these events which I mentioned taken only a few days sooner or longer‑‑say, for instance, had the winds which bore the ship blown a bit more sharply‑‑Jesus would have been born in Nazareth, where Joseph lived, rather than in Bethlehem. You begin to see immediately that the chance of just three of these prophecies happening is remarkable; yet I said that there were well over 300 prophecies relating to the life of Jesus Christ, and according to the laws of probability, it just couldn’t have happened. You see, when God detailed the circumstances relating to the coming of His Son, He was making the odds so great that it was absolutely impossible for them to have “just happened.”

In the Old Testament, God said that if a prophecy wasn’t fulfilled in every detail, that prophet was a false prophet and forfeited his right to live. God viewed false predictions as a very serious matter. When Jesus was here, He made it plain that every detail of prophecy had to be fulfilled. “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18). The probability of these things “just happening” is an absurd impossibility. Think about it.

Dr. Charles Ryrie, an authority of Bible prophecy, says, “Someone has calculated that actually there are more than 300 prophecies concerning various aspects of the first coming of Christ. We can assuredly say that no one could possibly have made this number of accurate predictions by chance.

“But God did it, through His prophets, and the evidence is in the Bible for all to see and believe. There are many other equally specific prophecies in both the Old and the New Testaments which have also been fulfilled exactly as predicted. Add all these in with the ones we have referred to, and the improbability of their coming to pass increases at a fantastic rate, to a point beyond any possible comprehension.” Another scholar says that there are 332 prophecies relating to Jesus Christ, 61 of which are major prophecies. To help you grasp the immense improbability of these being fulfilled by chance, let me give you something to think about. Let’s begin by pondering the possibility of just eight of those being fulfilled. One college math class that investigated this possibility concluded that it would be one possibility in ten to the 17th power.

Here’s another way to grasp this. If you are living in Asia, think of the island of Luzon—the largest of the 7000 islands in the Philippines. If you are living in the U.S. think of the largest state in the continental United States–Texas. If, however, you covered either with silver dollars or pesos two feet deep, and one of those coins was marked with a red “X”, the probability of diving into that pile and coming up with the coin marked with a red X would be the same as even eight of those prophecies being fulfilled. Now, let me take this one step further. The chance that anyone would fulfill 48 of those prophecies, to say nothing of the other 265, would be one in ten raised to the 157th power.

Here’s another mind-boggling illustration. If you had a ball of electrons the size of our universe (which is 6 billion light-years in radius), and you could make these balls at the rate of 500 per minute for 6 billion years (the estimated time of the existence of our universe), and you could do this 100 billion times over, you would have the chance factor of one person fulfilling even 48 of these prophecies. Frankly, that is more than I can really grasp.

When Jesus was here, He had a keen sense of understanding that He was fulfilling the prophecies of old. Repeatedly He would say, “This was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying…” and Jesus would document the quote. The average person has little understanding of the complexity of prophecies and their importance when it comes to documenting what Jesus did. Immediately before the crucifixion, Jesus said, “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He” (John 13:19).

5/8/2026

Christ: The Answer to Superstition
Christians are often portrayed as foolish and superstitious. Various writers and commentators talk about Christianity as an outdated, pre-scientific faith. Creationism has often been called pseudo or false science. But is it true that Christians are more given to superstition and pseudo-science than others in society? A study which carefully analyzed figures gathered by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that accusations that conservative, Bible-believing Christians are more prone toward superstition are completely wrong. The truth is just the opposite. The study shows that Bible-believing Christians are, in the report’s words, “most virtuous according to scientific standards when we examine cults and pseudo-science proliferating in our culture today.” The study also found that the most prone to cults and pseudo-science were the irreligious and religious liberals. Now, stop and think for a moment. So-called fundamentalist or Bible-believing Christians almost always accept the Genesis account of creation – yet, they are the least prone toward false science. We clearly see this principle in history. When biblical Christianity takes over among people, they have less interest in superstitions and cults. And creation is very much a part of that Christianity. Yes, Christ and the gospel is the light of God in this dark world!

Christ: The Answer to Superstition

Christians are often portrayed as foolish and superstitious. Various writers and commentators talk about Christianity as an outdated, pre-scientific faith. Creationism has often been called pseudo or false science. But is it true that Christians are more given to superstition and pseudo-science than others in society?

A study which carefully analyzed figures gathered by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that accusations that conservative, Bible-believing Christians are more prone toward superstition are completely wrong. The truth is just the opposite. The study shows that Bible-believing Christians are, in the report’s words, “most virtuous according to scientific standards when we examine cults and pseudo-science proliferating in our culture today.” The study also found that the most prone to cults and pseudo-science were the irreligious and religious liberals.

Now, stop and think for a moment. So-called fundamentalist or Bible-believing Christians almost always accept the Genesis account of creation – yet, they are the least prone toward false science. We clearly see this principle in history. When biblical Christianity takes over among people, they have less interest in superstitions and cults. And creation is very much a part of that Christianity.

Yes, Christ and the gospel is the light of God in this dark world!

5/7/2026

The Spirit Is Real
Many scientists have rejected the idea that man has a spirit – that we are no more than simply material organisms. After all, they reason, man evolved, but a non-material thing like a spirit cannot evolve. Evolution is completely materialistic in its outlook. Nineteenth-century promoters of evolution admitted that they devised the idea of naturalistic evolution to get rid of the idea of a non-material, spiritual dimension. That’s why it is noteworthy that, in 1983, Nobel prize-winning scientist George Wald announced to the scientific community that he had found evidence of a non-material aspect to life. Wald called this non-material part of life consciousness and concluded that our consciousness exists outside of space and time. Evolutionary scientists quickly treated Wald as a heretic. Suddenly evolutionists attacked one of their own with the same ferocity they had previously reserved for creationists. They offered no argument against Dr. Wald’s science – they simply refused to even look at his evidence because they just knew that he had the wrong conclusion. The lesson we learn from this is that evolution is a faith – a faith that competes with Christianity. Another lesson is that there is real scientific evidence that supports the Christian view of life and reality.

The Spirit Is Real

Many scientists have rejected the idea that man has a spirit – that we are no more than simply material organisms. After all, they reason, man evolved, but a non-material thing like a spirit cannot evolve.

Evolution is completely materialistic in its outlook. Nineteenth-century promoters of evolution admitted that they devised the idea of naturalistic evolution to get rid of the idea of a non-material, spiritual dimension.

That’s why it is noteworthy that, in 1983, Nobel prize-winning scientist George Wald announced to the scientific community that he had found evidence of a non-material aspect to life. Wald called this non-material part of life consciousness and concluded that our consciousness exists outside of space and time.

Evolutionary scientists quickly treated Wald as a heretic. Suddenly evolutionists attacked one of their own with the same ferocity they had previously reserved for creationists. They offered no argument against Dr. Wald’s science – they simply refused to even look at his evidence because they just knew that he had the wrong conclusion.

The lesson we learn from this is that evolution is a faith – a faith that competes with Christianity. Another lesson is that there is real scientific evidence that supports the Christian view of life and reality.

5/6/2026

Bible Translation
Dr. Harold J. Sala Guidelines For Living Do We Need Another Bible Translation? For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21 Today there are many translations of the Bible into English, and publishing companies have jumped on the commercial bandwagon with specialty Bibles for students, for business people, for married couples, for singles–for all kinds of people groups. For almost 400 years there was one undisputed lion of English translations–the 1611 version of the King James Bible. It reigned supreme in beauty and lucidity. Then when the language changed and the Shakespearean English of the King James Bible was no longer used by ordinary people, new versions of the Bible found their way into the church. In the 1940s J. B. Phillips began an expanded translation of Scripture into ordinary British English–something that was radically different from the authorized version of the King James text. A few years later as he took the daily train ride from his home to work at Moody Press in Chicago, Ken Taylor, taking the familiar King James text as a point of departure, wrote a paraphrase of Scripture, primarily for his children. His kids liked it; so did adults. Eventually it became the text of The Living Bible. Today many people are confused by the plethora of editions and versions. I am often asked, “Do you recommend a Bible?” And I’m hard-pressed to give an answer without time for an explanation. Why? In as few words as possible, here’s why. A paraphrase such as Phillips and Ken Taylor gave us is not a translation. It is a free interpretation of what the original language says. While both of them have helped people the world over, a paraphrase isn’t a translation of what God gave through holy men long ago, and when you are committed to the integrity of what the Holy Spirit gave to the writers of Scripture, it’s settling for less than the real thing. Other translations attempt to make the Bible relevant to life today. The New International Version, for example, is called a dynamic translation, or a functional equivalent. In other words, the translators try to find the equivalent expression of what the text says in our culture. For example, David Henne, translating the Bible for the Bora tribe in Peru, translates Isaiah’s text about your sins being as scarlet shall be white as snow, as “white as yucca” because the Indians in Peru are more familiar with freshly peeled, clean yucca than snow. In my doctoral program I had the privilege of teaching Greek to three of the men who became translators of the NIV, but many feel modern translators have gone too far in their quest for relevance in a kind of cafeteria approach to what they think God is saying to us today. In an article entitled, “We Really Do Need Another Bible Translation,” Raymond C. Van Leeuwen makes the case that we need to go back to what God says rather than what translators think it says. Those who have a high view of Scripture, who believe God breathed upon the writers, making their words the words of the Holy Spirit, agree, myself included. The English Standard Bible produced under the leadership of editor Dr. J. I. Packer, may well be the text that meets that challenge. The translation, which took three years to complete, was done by more than 100 scholars from the English-speaking world. A hasty review of key passages impresses me as a move towards the center, which I think is needed. It is much better to find out what God is saying to us than to attempt to make God say what we understand in our culture and world today. As Van Leeuwen says, “For us moderns to understand the Bible, we have to learn a lot about the world of the Bible and the world in the Bible; otherwise it just doesn’t make sense.”

Bible Translation

Dr. Harold J. Sala
Guidelines For Living

Do We Need Another Bible Translation?

For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 1:21

Today there are many translations of the Bible into English, and publishing companies have jumped on the commercial bandwagon with specialty Bibles for students, for business people, for married couples, for singles–for all kinds of people groups.

For almost 400 years there was one undisputed lion of English translations–the 1611 version of the King James Bible. It reigned supreme in beauty and lucidity. Then when the language changed and the Shakespearean English of the King James Bible was no longer used by ordinary people, new versions of the Bible found their way into the church.

In the 1940s J. B. Phillips began an expanded translation of Scripture into ordinary British English–something that was radically different from the authorized version of the King James text. A few years later as he took the daily train ride from his home to work at Moody Press in Chicago, Ken Taylor, taking the familiar King James text as a point of departure, wrote a paraphrase of Scripture, primarily for his children. His kids liked it; so did adults. Eventually it became the text of The Living Bible.

Today many people are confused by the plethora of editions and versions. I am often asked, “Do you recommend a Bible?” And I’m hard-pressed to give an answer without time for an explanation. Why? In as few words as possible, here’s why. A paraphrase such as Phillips and Ken Taylor gave us is not a translation. It is a free interpretation of what the original language says. While both of them have helped people the world over, a paraphrase isn’t a translation of what God gave through holy men long ago, and when you are committed to the integrity of what the Holy Spirit gave to the writers of Scripture, it’s settling for less than the real thing.

Other translations attempt to make the Bible relevant to life today. The New International Version, for example, is called a dynamic translation, or a functional equivalent. In other words, the translators try to find the equivalent expression of what the text says in our culture. For example, David Henne, translating the Bible for the Bora tribe in Peru, translates Isaiah’s text about your sins being as scarlet shall be white as snow, as “white as yucca” because the Indians in Peru are more familiar with freshly peeled, clean yucca than snow.

In my doctoral program I had the privilege of teaching Greek to three of the men who became translators of the NIV, but many feel modern translators have gone too far in their quest for relevance in a kind of cafeteria approach to what they think God is saying to us today.

In an article entitled, “We Really Do Need Another Bible Translation,” Raymond C. Van Leeuwen makes the case that we need to go back to what God says rather than what translators think it says. Those who have a high view of Scripture, who believe God breathed upon the writers, making their words the words of the Holy Spirit, agree, myself included. The English Standard Bible produced under the leadership of editor Dr. J. I. Packer, may well be the text that meets that challenge. The translation, which took three years to complete, was done by more than 100 scholars from the English-speaking world. A hasty review of key passages impresses me as a move towards the center, which I think is needed.

It is much better to find out what God is saying to us than to attempt to make God say what we understand in our culture and world today. As Van Leeuwen says, “For us moderns to understand the Bible, we have to learn a lot about the world of the Bible and the world in the Bible; otherwise it just doesn’t make sense.”

5/5/2026

Bird Population On Earth
About 10 years ago, two scientists decided to estimate the total number of birds on the planet. The number they came up with was 200 to 400 billion individual birds. Compared to 5 billion people, this amounts to about 40 to 60 birds per person. There are now 1,469 bird species globally threatened with extinction–One out of every eight bird species worldwide, according to the report. This represents an increase of 40% since the group’s first global assessment of threatened species in 1988. The domestic chicken is the most common bird species in the world with an estimated population of 22.67 billion. Perhaps the world’s rarest bird, only one Stresemann’s Bristlefront is known to survive in the wild. Our Magnificent Creator God had a reason for each individual bird He created just like He did for each of us.

Bird Population On Earth

About 10 years ago, two scientists decided to estimate the total number of birds on the planet. The number they came up with was 200 to 400 billion individual birds. Compared to 5 billion people, this amounts to about 40 to 60 birds per person.

There are now 1,469 bird species globally threatened with extinction–One out of every eight bird species worldwide, according to the report. This represents an increase of 40% since the group’s first global assessment of threatened species in 1988.

The domestic chicken is the most common bird species in the world with an estimated population of 22.67 billion.

Perhaps the world’s rarest bird, only one Stresemann’s Bristlefront is known to survive in the wild.

Our Magnificent Creator God had a reason for each individual bird He created just like He did for each of us.

5/4/2026

Buenos Aires Christ of the Andes
In 1904 a massive, bronze statue of Christ with his arms outstretched to the harbor of Buenos Aires was erected. Known as the “Christ of the Andes,” standing at an altitude of 13,000 feet, it towers over the whole area. Christ’s left hand holds a cross. His right hand is extended in blessing. On the base of the great statue is a quotation from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians which reads, “He is our peace who has made both one.” Have you ever wondered what the story is behind this magnificent work of art? In 1899 Argentina and Chile were on the path leading to war. Though there had never been an armed confrontation between these two countries, it was certain that one was brewing. Armies had been massed on the border between the two countries. By Easter of 1900, it was only a matter of days or hours until the first shots were fired. That’s when Monsignor Bonaventa in Buenos Aires preached a passionate Easter message calling for peace. On the other side of the border the echo was picked up and others called for peace as well. Gradually pleas for sanity won out and King Edward VII of Britain was asked to arbitrate the dispute. Eventually the treaty was signed, and the canons that had been pointed at each other were melted down, and the bronze was poured into the mold for the “Christ of the Andes.”

Buenos Aires Christ of the Andes

In 1904 a massive, bronze statue of Christ with his arms outstretched to the harbor of Buenos Aires was erected. Known as the “Christ of the Andes,” standing at an altitude of 13,000 feet, it towers over the whole area. Christ’s left hand holds a cross. His right hand is extended in blessing. On the base of the great statue is a quotation from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians which reads, “He is our peace who has made both one.”

Have you ever wondered what the story is behind this magnificent work of art? In 1899 Argentina and Chile were on the path leading to war. Though there had never been an armed confrontation between these two countries, it was certain that one was brewing. Armies had been massed on the border between the two countries. By Easter of 1900, it was only a matter of days or hours until the first shots were fired.

That’s when Monsignor Bonaventa in Buenos Aires preached a passionate Easter message calling for peace. On the other side of the border the echo was picked up and others called for peace as well. Gradually pleas for sanity won out and King Edward VII of Britain was asked to arbitrate the dispute. Eventually the treaty was signed, and the canons that had been pointed at each other were melted down, and the bronze was poured into the mold for the “Christ of the Andes.”

5/3/2026

Candy Canes
Tradition records that in 1670 the choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany hit upon an idea to keep children occupied during the living manger scene in the church on Christmas Eve. He asked a local candy maker to create sugary “sticks” made from white syrup with a “hook” on one end—white for the purity of Christ and the “hook” to remind them of the shepherds’ staffs. Thus was born the tradition of peppermint-flavored candy canes that appear every Christmas. Whether that tradition is completely true or not, the colors and shape of today’s candy canes are a reminder of biblical truths at Christmas: white for Jesus’ purity, red for Jesus’ blood shed on the Cross, and the hook for His image as the Good Shepherd who cares for His sheep (John 10:11, 14). If you enjoy candy canes this Christmas, share these images with your children or grandchildren. Candy canes hanging on the Christmas tree are a timeless Christmas tradition that carries a powerful Christmas message.

Candy Canes

Tradition records that in 1670 the choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany hit upon an idea to keep children occupied during the living manger scene in the church on Christmas Eve. He asked a local candy maker to create sugary “sticks” made from white syrup with a “hook” on one end—white for the purity of Christ and the “hook” to remind them of the shepherds’ staffs. Thus was born the tradition of peppermint-flavored candy canes that appear every Christmas.

Whether that tradition is completely true or not, the colors and shape of today’s candy canes are a reminder of biblical truths at Christmas: white for Jesus’ purity, red for Jesus’ blood shed on the Cross, and the hook for His image as the Good Shepherd who cares for His sheep (John 10:11, 14). If you enjoy candy canes this Christmas, share these images with your children or grandchildren.

Candy canes hanging on the Christmas tree are a timeless Christmas tradition that carries a powerful Christmas message.

5/2/2026

Christian Denominations In The World
According to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, there are approximately 45,000 Christian denominations in the world—with more than 200 in America. Most of those denominations have arisen due to doctrinal differences, choices which must be respected among people of good conscience. But too often splits among groups of Christians happen for less than noble reasons.

5/1/2026

Christian Fish Symbol
The Christian fish symbol is one of the most ubiquitous symbols of Christianity. Apart from the cross, the fish symbol is probably the most recognizable symbol of faith. It is found on cars, Bible covers, tattoos, and more. The link between Christ and a simple line drawing of a fish is not readily apparent and requires a little explanation. Briefly, the fish symbol is based on a Greek acronym for the phrase Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior. In Greek, the phrase is Ίησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ. When we take the first letter from each word in that phrase, we have ΙΧΘΥΣ, which happens to be the Greek word for “fish” (ixthus or icthus—the spelling can vary in English). Some versions of the Christian fish symbol contain the Greek letters inside or underneath the symbol itself. The Christian fish symbol also brings to mind several events in Jesus’ ministry. Twice, Jesus provided a miraculous draught of fish for His disciples (Luke 5:4–7; John 21:4–6). He ate fish with His disciples on at least two occasions after His resurrection (Luke 24:42; John 21:13). The miracle of the temple coin involved a fish (Matthew 17:27). And of course the feeding of five thousand and the feeding of the four thousand started with a lunch that included fish (Matthew 14:15–21; 15:32–38). During the early days of Christianity, Christians were often put to death for practicing their faith, so they worshiped in secret places. A fish painted or etched on the outside door of a house let other Christians know that they would be safe and welcome inside. The ancient catacombs in Rome are filled with images of fish, carved there by Christians hiding from persecution. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior is a wonderful summary of biblical truth regarding the Lord, and the Christian fish symbol is a beautiful way to express faith in Him. But following Christ involves much more than sporting an ixthus on the back of one’s car. Jesus spoke often of the necessity of inward truth as opposed to outward shows of religion. Those who use a Christian fish symbol should make sure they actually know Christ, trust Him as Savior, and obey Him as Lord.

Christian Fish Symbol

The Christian fish symbol is one of the most ubiquitous symbols of Christianity. Apart from the cross, the fish symbol is probably the most recognizable symbol of faith. It is found on cars, Bible covers, tattoos, and more. The link between Christ and a simple line drawing of a fish is not readily apparent and requires a little explanation.

Briefly, the fish symbol is based on a Greek acronym for the phrase Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior. In Greek, the phrase is Ίησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ. When we take the first letter from each word in that phrase, we have ΙΧΘΥΣ, which happens to be the Greek word for “fish” (ixthus or icthus—the spelling can vary in English). Some versions of the Christian fish symbol contain the Greek letters inside or underneath the symbol itself.

The Christian fish symbol also brings to mind several events in Jesus’ ministry. Twice, Jesus provided a miraculous draught of fish for His disciples (Luke 5:4–7; John 21:4–6). He ate fish with His disciples on at least two occasions after His resurrection (Luke 24:42; John 21:13). The miracle of the temple coin involved a fish (Matthew 17:27). And of course the feeding of five thousand and the feeding of the four thousand started with a lunch that included fish (Matthew 14:15–21; 15:32–38).

During the early days of Christianity, Christians were often put to death for practicing their faith, so they worshiped in secret places. A fish painted or etched on the outside door of a house let other Christians know that they would be safe and welcome inside. The ancient catacombs in Rome are filled with images of fish, carved there by Christians hiding from persecution.

Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior is a wonderful summary of biblical truth regarding the Lord, and the Christian fish symbol is a beautiful way to express faith in Him. But following Christ involves much more than sporting an ixthus on the back of one’s car. Jesus spoke often of the necessity of inward truth as opposed to outward shows of religion. Those who use a Christian fish symbol should make sure they actually know Christ, trust Him as Savior, and obey Him as Lord.

4/30/2026

Computer Technology Changes
The first modern era business computer was first shipped by IBM in the mid 1960’s. It was the IBM System 360 family of computers. There were only 2 in NC at that time. One was at the NC State Government and the other at Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC. It was the System 360 Model 40 and consisted of: IBM 360/40 Central Processing Unit 64KB (64 Thousand) Characters of Program Storage Memory Speed = 75KB (75 Thousand) Instructions / Second Weight = 3 Tons Size = 8 x 10 Lawn Building Price = $40,000 per month forever IBM 2311 Data Storage Unit 4 Disk Drives @ 7.25 MB = 30 MB = 30 Million Characters) Read/Write Speed = 3.2 MB / Second Weight per drive = 250 lbs. Size per drive = Clothes Dryer Google Pixel Smartphone 4GB (4 Billion) Characters of Program Storage Memory (62,500 times the size of the IBM 360/40) Speed = 1.6 GHz (1.6 Billion) Instructions / Second (21,334 times the speed of the IBM 360/40) Data Storage = 2 TB (2 Trillion) Characters (66,666 times the capacity of the IBM 360/40) Weight = 5 Onces vs 3 Tons for the IBM 360/40. Price = $300 one time

Computer Technology Changes

The first modern era business computer was first shipped by IBM in the mid 1960’s. It was the IBM System 360 family of computers. There were only 2 in NC at that time. One was at the NC State Government and the other at Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC. It was the System 360 Model 40 and consisted of:

IBM 360/40 Central Processing Unit
64KB (64 Thousand) Characters of Program Storage Memory
Speed = 75KB (75 Thousand) Instructions / Second
Weight = 3 Tons
Size = 8 x 10 Lawn Building
Price = $40,000 per month forever

IBM 2311 Data Storage Unit
4 Disk Drives @ 7.25 MB = 30 MB = 30 Million Characters)
Read/Write Speed = 3.2 MB / Second
Weight per drive = 250 lbs.
Size per drive = Clothes Dryer

Google Pixel Smartphone
4GB (4 Billion) Characters of Program Storage Memory (62,500 times the size of the IBM 360/40)
Speed = 1.6 GHz (1.6 Billion) Instructions / Second (21,334 times the speed of the IBM 360/40)
Data Storage = 2 TB (2 Trillion) Characters (66,666 times the capacity of the IBM 360/40)
Weight = 5 Onces vs 3 Tons for the IBM 360/40.
Price = $300 one time

4/29/2026

Day Of Pentecost
“Pentecost” is one of the seven Jewish feast days that God gave the Jewish people, the last of the four spring feasts. It was the day that the promise of Jesus was fulfilled as He said it would be, the Holy Spirit would come to the new converts of Christ, those who would be called Christian, John 16:7-13. Consider this. On this particular “Day of Pentecost” there were Jews from “every nation under heaven”, verse 5, in Jerusalem. Pentecost was a “pilgrim feast day” and the Jews were required to come to Jerusalem to observe the “feast”. This meant that all twelve tribes were in Jerusalem, no “ten lost tribes” were missing. Also, please notice that on Pentecost there was no such thing as people speaking in “unknown tongues or languages”. The passage gives us a list of all the languages spoken that day, verses 6-11. By the way, notice what they were speaking in the languages of the peoples gathered there that day, verse 11, “the wonderful works of God”. That phrase is interpreted in verses 22-24 where Peter, the preacher on the “Day of Pentecost”, gave the Jews gathered in Jerusalem, the “gospel”, the death of Jesus Christ, verse 23, and the resurrection, verse 24. On this day “about 3,000 souls”, verse 41, were saved. There is one more controversial item to deal with, Peter’s reference to the Prophet Joel’s prophecy, found in Joel 2:29-32. Whatever Peter was saying, he was not saying that Joel’s prophecy was being fulfilled that day. It’s interesting to note that nowhere in Joel’s prophecy does it call for “speaking in tongues”. It does, however, call for “marvelous signs in the heavens” to happen, verses 19-20, and none of those things happened that day. What did happen, as Joel said, was that those “who called upon the name of the Lord”, verse 21, did get saved. One other thought about Joel’s prophecy, verses 15-21, it could not have been fulfilled on that “Day of Pentecost” because the ancient Jewish prophet Joel said that this prophecy would be fulfilled during the “Day of the Lord”. That period, “The Day of the Lord”, does not begin until after the Rapture of the Church and takes place during the lead-up to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, during the Tribulation Period. That’s what Joel’s prophecy is describing in Joel 2, “the Day of the Lord”, this is a prophecy yet to be fulfilled. (Please see my audio series on “Joel”.) The “Day of Pentecost” was a great day for all Gentiles, it marked the beginning of the “Church Period”, verse 47. From that day, until the Rapture, both Gentiles and Jews who come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour are part of the “body of Christ”, the Church, His bride. It is this “bride”, the Church, which Jesus will shout for to join Him in the heavens at the Rapture of the Church. There is no prophecy that must be fulfilled before the Rapture. All prophecy yet to be fulfilled will be fulfilled after the Rapture. The Rapture could happen today.

Day Of Pentecost

“Pentecost” is one of the seven Jewish feast days that God gave the Jewish people, the last of the four spring feasts. It was the day that the promise of Jesus was fulfilled as He said it would be, the Holy Spirit would come to the new converts of Christ, those who would be called Christian, John 16:7-13.

Consider this. On this particular “Day of Pentecost” there were Jews from “every nation under heaven”, verse 5, in Jerusalem.

Pentecost was a “pilgrim feast day” and the Jews were required to come to Jerusalem to observe the “feast”. This meant that all twelve tribes were in Jerusalem, no “ten lost tribes” were missing.

Also, please notice that on Pentecost there was no such thing as people speaking in “unknown tongues or languages”. The passage gives us a list of all the languages spoken that day, verses 6-11.

By the way, notice what they were speaking in the languages of the peoples gathered there that day, verse 11, “the wonderful works of God”. That phrase is interpreted in verses 22-24 where Peter, the preacher on the “Day of Pentecost”, gave the Jews gathered in Jerusalem, the “gospel”, the death of Jesus Christ, verse 23, and the resurrection, verse 24.

On this day “about 3,000 souls”, verse 41, were saved. There is one more controversial item to deal with, Peter’s reference to the Prophet Joel’s prophecy, found in Joel 2:29-32.

Whatever Peter was saying, he was not saying that Joel’s prophecy was being fulfilled that day. It’s interesting to note that nowhere in Joel’s prophecy does it call for “speaking in tongues”.

It does, however, call for “marvelous signs in the heavens” to happen, verses 19-20, and none of those things happened that day. What did happen, as Joel said, was that those “who called upon the name of the Lord”, verse 21, did get saved.

One other thought about Joel’s prophecy, verses 15-21, it could not have been fulfilled on that “Day of Pentecost” because the ancient Jewish prophet Joel said that this prophecy would be fulfilled during the “Day of the Lord”.

That period, “The Day of the Lord”, does not begin until after the Rapture of the Church and takes place during the lead-up to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, during the Tribulation Period. That’s what Joel’s prophecy is describing in Joel 2, “the Day of the Lord”, this is a prophecy yet to be fulfilled. (Please see my audio series on “Joel”.)

The “Day of Pentecost” was a great day for all Gentiles, it marked the beginning of the “Church Period”, verse 47. From that day, until the Rapture, both Gentiles and Jews who come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour are part of the “body of Christ”, the Church, His bride.

It is this “bride”, the Church, which Jesus will shout for to join Him in the heavens at the Rapture of the Church. There is no prophecy that must be fulfilled before the Rapture. All prophecy yet to be fulfilled will be fulfilled after the Rapture. The Rapture could happen today.

4/28/2026

Discovery Of The Dead Sea Scrolls
In 1947, a shepherd boy by the name of Mohammed Ab Dib, from the Ta-Amir Bedouin tribe, was allegedly searching for lost sheep when he tossed a rock into the mouth of a cave near the Dead Sea. That evening as he sat around the campfire with his older brothers, Mohammed told how he had heard an evil spirit which he thought had been disturbed by a rock he had thrown into the cave as he searched for a lost goat. His brothers laughed at the idea of an evil spirit’s making noise and decided to go with Mohammed the next day to discover what had caused the noise. Climbing into the cave, they discovered that the noise which he mistook for an “evil spirit” had, in reality, been the tinkling of pottery, a vessel about 30 inches in height containing a very old manuscript sealed with pitch and tar. Thinking that it might be worth something, the young men returned to their families and for several months the Isaiah scroll was carried by the tribe until they went to Bethlehem and traded the manuscript for staples such as milk and cheese, not realizing how valuable it actually was. At this point the drama quickened. Kando, the Bethlehem merchant, realizing that having this ancient scroll in his possession was in violation of Jordanian law, buried the scroll in his backyard for a period of time; then through the underground he made contact with Professor Eleazar Sukenik of Hebrew University, who immediately recognized the document as being none other than a very old copy of the book of Isaiah. As the words of the text came leaping to life from the page of the ancient scroll, about 35 feet in length, he could hardly contain himself. He knew that if he got too excited, the price would go high, perhaps too high. If he let this manuscript get away, it might forever be lost to posterity or damaged by unskilled hands who could easily ruin the ancient scroll which had been so tightly sealed for almost 2000 years. For many years after this, Kando, the Bethlehem merchant who bought the scroll and buried it in his backyard, operated a curio shop outside the St. George Hotel in Old Jerusalem, and on occasion, properly encouraged, would pose for a picture, but he was always reluctant to relate the true story which I’ve just shared with you. Eventually though, after many cups of Turkish coffee and countless hours of negotiation, the manuscript was purchased by Hebrew University. Professor William F. Albright, one of the world’s leading authorities on ancient manuscripts, considered this to be the most important manuscript find of all time. He dated this scroll at 100 B.C. Until the Isaiah manuscript was found at Qumran, the oldest manuscript of the book of Isaiah in existence had been dated 895 A.D., which meant that this manuscript reached back more than 1000 years, bringing us closer by a millennium to the day when Isaiah penned those words, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…” (Isaiah 9:6a, KJV). Between 1947, when the first scroll was found, and 1954, at least 800 scrolls were found, of which 127 or more contain writings of the Old Testament Scriptures. That these scrolls should lie there unmolested, only to be unearthed when science had really come into its own, causing many to question the validity of Scripture, has to be nothing short of an act of God. It’s almost like God saying again what Isaiah wrote long ago, “…the grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands for ever” (Isaiah 40:8, NKJV). No other Old Testament book is so full of prophecies relating to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. It’s more than mere coincidence.

Discovery Of The Dead Sea Scrolls

In 1947, a shepherd boy by the name of Mohammed Ab Dib, from the Ta-Amir Bedouin tribe, was allegedly searching for lost sheep when he tossed a rock into the mouth of a cave near the Dead Sea. That evening as he sat around the campfire with his older brothers, Mohammed told how he had heard an evil spirit which he thought had been disturbed by a rock he had thrown into the cave as he searched for a lost goat.

His brothers laughed at the idea of an evil spirit’s making noise and decided to go with Mohammed the next day to discover what had caused the noise. Climbing into the cave, they discovered that the noise which he mistook for an “evil spirit” had, in reality, been the tinkling of pottery, a vessel about 30 inches in height containing a very old manuscript sealed with pitch and tar. Thinking that it might be worth something, the young men returned to their families and for several months the Isaiah scroll was carried by the tribe until they went to Bethlehem and traded the manuscript for staples such as milk and cheese, not realizing how valuable it actually was.

At this point the drama quickened. Kando, the Bethlehem merchant, realizing that having this ancient scroll in his possession was in violation of Jordanian law, buried the scroll in his backyard for a period of time; then through the underground he made contact with Professor Eleazar Sukenik of Hebrew University, who immediately recognized the document as being none other than a very old copy of the book of Isaiah. As the words of the text came leaping to life from the page of the ancient scroll, about 35 feet in length, he could hardly contain himself. He knew that if he got too excited, the price would go high, perhaps too high. If he let this manuscript get away, it might forever be lost to posterity or damaged by unskilled hands who could easily ruin the ancient scroll which had been so tightly sealed for almost 2000 years.

For many years after this, Kando, the Bethlehem merchant who bought the scroll and buried it in his backyard, operated a curio shop outside the St. George Hotel in Old Jerusalem, and on occasion, properly encouraged, would pose for a picture, but he was always reluctant to relate the true story which I’ve just shared with you.

Eventually though, after many cups of Turkish coffee and countless hours of negotiation, the manuscript was purchased by Hebrew University. Professor William F. Albright, one of the world’s leading authorities on ancient manuscripts, considered this to be the most important manuscript find of all time.

He dated this scroll at 100 B.C. Until the Isaiah manuscript was found at Qumran, the oldest manuscript of the book of Isaiah in existence had been dated 895 A.D., which meant that this manuscript reached back more than 1000 years, bringing us closer by a millennium to the day when Isaiah penned those words, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…” (Isaiah 9:6a, KJV).

Between 1947, when the first scroll was found, and 1954, at least 800 scrolls were found, of which 127 or more contain writings of the Old Testament Scriptures.

That these scrolls should lie there unmolested, only to be unearthed when science had really come into its own, causing many to question the validity of Scripture, has to be nothing short of an act of God. It’s almost like God saying again what Isaiah wrote long ago, “…the grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands for ever” (Isaiah 40:8, NKJV). No other Old Testament book is so full of prophecies relating to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. It’s more than mere coincidence.

4/27/2026

Electric Hornets
How many hornets does it take to power a digital watch? In the case of the Oriental hornet, six hornets can generate enough electricity to run the watch. Entomologists at Tel Aviv University have been studying Oriental hornets. They have been most interested in the outer skeleton or skin of the hornet. And they have discovered that this cuticle works as a living solar cell. When sunlight hits the hornet’s cuticle, electricity is generated. To prove their point in dramatic fashion, they wired six hornets together in series. That arrangement generated enough electricity to run a digital watch for several seconds. Their research also revealed the fact that the cuticle’s electrical generation is most efficient at the temperatures in which the hornets normally operate. Different layers in the cuticle generate and store electrical current. Voltages have ranged as high as several hundred millivolts and the current has been recorded as high as several tenths of an ampere. In effect, Oriental wasps are living semiconductors! The researchers now find themselves in the classic situation of finding out how little they know by learning something. They report that they don’t know how the hornet converts its electrical energy into a form it can use. Nor do they know how the cuticle stores the energy or transmits it. Modern science loves to take pride in its accomplishments. However, every time science investigates God’s seemingly simplest creations, scientists are reminded of their need for humility.

Electric Hornets

How many hornets does it take to power a digital watch? In the case of the Oriental hornet, six hornets can generate enough electricity to run the watch.

Entomologists at Tel Aviv University have been studying Oriental hornets. They have been most interested in the outer skeleton or skin of the hornet. And they have discovered that this cuticle works as a living solar cell. When sunlight hits the hornet’s cuticle, electricity is generated. To prove their point in dramatic fashion, they wired six hornets together in series. That arrangement generated enough electricity to run a digital watch for several seconds. Their research also revealed the fact that the cuticle’s electrical generation is most efficient at the temperatures in which the hornets normally operate. Different layers in the cuticle generate and store electrical current. Voltages have ranged as high as several hundred millivolts and the current has been recorded as high as several tenths of an ampere. In effect, Oriental wasps are living semiconductors!

The researchers now find themselves in the classic situation of finding out how little they know by learning something. They report that they don’t know how the hornet converts its electrical energy into a form it can use. Nor do they know how the cuticle stores the energy or transmits it.

Modern science loves to take pride in its accomplishments. However, every time science investigates God’s seemingly simplest creations, scientists are reminded of their need for humility.

4/26/2026

Epimenides Paradox
Epimenides was a classical philosopher and poet from Crete. He wrote once that “all Cretans are liars,” a line that Paul quotes in Titus 1:12. The paradox is that Epimenides himself was a Cretan. If all Cretans are liars, then Epimenides is also a liar. If Epimenides is a liar, then the statement that “all Cretans are liars” must be a lie, which would mean all Cretans tell the truth, which means Epimenides tells the truth, which means the statement “all Cretans are liars” is both true and false.

Epimenides Paradox

Epimenides was a classical philosopher and poet from Crete. He wrote once that “all Cretans are liars,” a line that Paul quotes in Titus 1:12. The paradox is that Epimenides himself was a Cretan. If all Cretans are liars, then Epimenides is also a liar. If Epimenides is a liar, then the statement that “all Cretans are liars” must be a lie, which would mean all Cretans tell the truth, which means Epimenides tells the truth, which means the statement “all Cretans are liars” is both true and false.

4/25/2026

First Miracle
This is the record of the very first miracle that Jesus Christ did during His three and a half years of ministry. He healed the lame, restored sight to the blind, cast demons out of people, and even raised the dead. However, the first miracle was the making of wine out of water for the wedding guests at a wedding that He and His disciples were attending. There is much to share with you from this passage of Scripture. Notice the comment in John 2:1 that on the “third day of the wedding” Jesus came with His disciples to a gathering that His mother was attending. It is referring to the “7-day feast” that follows the marriage ceremony of a Jewish couple. Even today, Jewish families celebrate the new marriage of their loved ones or friends for this 7-day period. That will also be the case at the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb”, Revelation 19:7-9, when, for 7 years, Christians, the “Bride”, married to Jesus Christ, the “Bridegroom”, will celebrate in the heavens that wedding. By the way, that is the reason the wine had run out for the guests. There were more that showed up than the father of the bride had expected. The text tells us that the mother of Jesus asked Him to make “wine out of water”. The truth is, that what Jesus did was not for the convenience of the wedding guests. He did no miracle for convenience but, instead, to confirm His Messianic claims. This is the case here also. We will prove that from the text in a moment. But first, look at what actually happened. Jesus told His disciples to fill the 6 water pots full of water – but notice that they were special water pots. John 2:6 says “they were for the purifying of the Jews”. In other words, these pots had water with “ashes of the red heifer” in them. This ashen water was for purifying the Jews, for making them pure after being desecrated. As we look to the future from this point in history in John 2, we know that the “blood of Jesus” makes us pure, not ashes of a red heifer in water. Jesus, with this miracle, took back the “red heifer ordinance”, Numbers 19, the purification process for all who come unto Him, thus, water to wine with the wine, as always, symbolic of “His blood”. Remember that this was no miracle for “convenience” but for ”confirmation”. The miracle in John 2:11 was the first He did to manifest His glory, so that His disciples believed on Him. One final thought, the next temple does need a red heifer and its ashes because it is not Messiah’s Temple but the temple of the Antichrist. There is now a red heifer ready to fulfill that need. Please also remember, the building of the next temple will not begin until after the Rapture. With all the preparations made for that next temple and the Jews wanting to start construction on that temple right now, it seems very likely that the Rapture is about to happen. Keep looking up, it could be today.

First Miracle

This is the record of the very first miracle that Jesus Christ did during His three and a half years of ministry. He healed the lame, restored sight to the blind, cast demons out of people, and even raised the dead. However, the first miracle was the making of wine out of water for the wedding guests at a wedding that He and His disciples were attending.

There is much to share with you from this passage of Scripture. Notice the comment in John 2:1 that on the “third day of the wedding” Jesus came with His disciples to a gathering that His mother was attending. It is referring to the “7-day feast” that follows the marriage ceremony of a Jewish couple. Even today, Jewish families celebrate the new marriage of their loved ones or friends for this 7-day period.

That will also be the case at the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb”, Revelation 19:7-9, when, for 7 years, Christians, the “Bride”, married to Jesus Christ, the “Bridegroom”, will celebrate in the heavens that wedding. By the way, that is the reason the wine had run out for the guests. There were more that showed up than the father of the bride had expected.

The text tells us that the mother of Jesus asked Him to make “wine out of water”. The truth is, that what Jesus did was not for the convenience of the wedding guests. He did no miracle for convenience but, instead, to confirm His Messianic claims. This is the case here also. We will prove that from the text in a moment.

But first, look at what actually happened. Jesus told His disciples to fill the 6 water pots full of water – but notice that they were special water pots. John 2:6 says “they were for the purifying of the Jews”.

In other words, these pots had water with “ashes of the red heifer” in them. This ashen water was for purifying the Jews, for making them pure after being desecrated.

As we look to the future from this point in history in John 2, we know that the “blood of Jesus” makes us pure, not ashes of a red heifer in water. Jesus, with this miracle, took back the “red heifer ordinance”, Numbers 19, the purification process for all who come unto Him, thus, water to wine with the wine, as always, symbolic of “His blood”.

Remember that this was no miracle for “convenience” but for ”confirmation”. The miracle in John 2:11 was the first He did to manifest His glory, so that His disciples believed on Him.

One final thought, the next temple does need a red heifer and its ashes because it is not Messiah’s Temple but the temple of the Antichrist. There is now a red heifer ready to fulfill that need.

Please also remember, the building of the next temple will not begin until after the Rapture. With all the preparations made for that next temple and the Jews wanting to start construction on that temple right now, it seems very likely that the Rapture is about to happen. Keep looking up, it could be today.

4/24/2026

Frozen Frogs
The Wood Frog (Rana Sylvatica) freezes in the winter. Its heart stills, blood stops flowing, and eyes go white because its lenses freeze. Cryoprotectants inside of the frogs’ bodies act like antifreeze, preventing ice crystals from forming inside their cells by lowering the body’s freezing point, keeping their cells and tissues from freezing and bursting. Its waste is recycled through the body. If these systems were not already in place, they would die. In the warmer weather, it thaws back to normal and hops away.

Frozen Frogs

The Wood Frog (Rana Sylvatica) freezes in the winter. Its heart stills, blood stops flowing, and eyes go white because its lenses freeze.

Cryoprotectants inside of the frogs’ bodies act like antifreeze, preventing ice crystals from forming inside their cells by lowering the body’s freezing point, keeping their cells and tissues from freezing and bursting. Its waste is recycled through the body. If these systems were not already in place, they would die.

In the warmer weather, it thaws back to normal and hops away.

4/23/2026

Why People Lived So Long…
From the very first pages of Scripture, the ages of Adam’s world rise like towering monuments of truth. Adam reaches 930 years in Genesis 5:5. Methuselah stands at 969 in Genesis 5:27. Noah steps into the Flood at 600 in Genesis 7:6. Critics scoff, but the Bible does not tremble. These lifespans fit perfectly within the world God originally called very good. In the beginning, humanity walked with bodies unscarred by the genetic decay we see today. God formed Adam and Eve with flawless genetic information, untouched by the avalanche of mutations that now burdens every generation. Modern geneticists describe this downward slide as genetic entropy. Scripture told us long ago that mankind is wearing out. But in those first generations after creation, the damage was minimal. Their bodies resisted aging, resisted disease, and resisted the slow corruption that now clings to us. Genesis 1:6 to 7 describes waters above the expanse. Many creation scientists believe this represents a pre Flood vapor canopy or at least a radically different atmosphere that shielded the earth. Such a world would have blocked harmful radiation that now strikes our DNA and accelerates death. Combined with a stable climate and ideal living conditions, early humanity lived in an environment designed for strength, vitality, and remarkable longevity. History supports this pattern. Ancient records like the Sumerian King List speak of rulers living hundreds of years before a great flood, then a sharp decline afterward. The details may differ, but the storyline is the same. Long lives before the catastrophe. Shorter lives after. Even the echoes of pagan cultures cannot silence the biblical pattern. After the Flood, the world changed. The climate hardened. The protective environment collapsed. Genetic damage accelerated through population bottlenecks. Lifespans plunged from the 400s in Noah’s sons, to the 200s in their descendants, to 175 in the days of Abraham. Exactly what we would expect in a world now groaning under the curse. The long lives in Genesis are not myth. They are history. They match the Bible. They harmonize with genetics. They align with ancient testimony. They fit the world we see wearing down around us every single day. Humanity began in strength. Sin brought decay. And Scripture has recorded the truth with perfect accuracy from the very beginning. decay and reduced overall longevity. The long lives recorded in Genesis are not a myth—they are consistent with a biblical understanding of genetics, climate, and history. A perfect creation, minimal genetic damage, and a sheltered early Earth environment provide a clear explanation for the incredible ages of the pre-Flood patriarchs. Even secular science acknowledges that DNA is slowly breaking down and that environmental factors shorten lifespans. Genesis simply records what the first humans experienced: a world that began perfect, where people lived for centuries, but has been steadily wearing down ever since.

Why People Lived So Long…

From the very first pages of Scripture, the ages of Adam’s world rise like towering monuments of truth. Adam reaches 930 years in Genesis 5:5. Methuselah stands at 969 in Genesis 5:27. Noah steps into the Flood at 600 in Genesis 7:6. Critics scoff, but the Bible does not tremble. These lifespans fit perfectly within the world God originally called very good.

In the beginning, humanity walked with bodies unscarred by the genetic decay we see today. God formed Adam and Eve with flawless genetic information, untouched by the avalanche of mutations that now burdens every generation. Modern geneticists describe this downward slide as genetic entropy. Scripture told us long ago that mankind is wearing out. But in those first generations after creation, the damage was minimal. Their bodies resisted aging, resisted disease, and resisted the slow corruption that now clings to us.

Genesis 1:6 to 7 describes waters above the expanse. Many creation scientists believe this represents a pre Flood vapor canopy or at least a radically different atmosphere that shielded the earth. Such a world would have blocked harmful radiation that now strikes our DNA and accelerates death. Combined with a stable climate and ideal living conditions, early humanity lived in an environment designed for strength, vitality, and remarkable longevity.

History supports this pattern. Ancient records like the Sumerian King List speak of rulers living hundreds of years before a great flood, then a sharp decline afterward. The details may differ, but the storyline is the same. Long lives before the catastrophe. Shorter lives after. Even the echoes of pagan cultures cannot silence the biblical pattern.

After the Flood, the world changed. The climate hardened. The protective environment collapsed. Genetic damage accelerated through population bottlenecks. Lifespans plunged from the 400s in Noah’s sons, to the 200s in their descendants, to 175 in the days of Abraham. Exactly what we would expect in a world now groaning under the curse.

The long lives in Genesis are not myth. They are history. They match the Bible. They harmonize with genetics. They align with ancient testimony. They fit the world we see wearing down around us every single day. Humanity began in strength. Sin brought decay. And Scripture has recorded the truth with perfect accuracy from the very beginning.
decay and reduced overall longevity.

The long lives recorded in Genesis are not a myth—they are consistent with a biblical understanding of genetics, climate, and history. A perfect creation, minimal genetic damage, and a sheltered early Earth environment provide a clear explanation for the incredible ages of the pre-Flood patriarchs. Even secular science acknowledges that DNA is slowly breaking down and that environmental factors shorten lifespans. Genesis simply records what the first humans experienced: a world that began perfect, where people lived for centuries, but has been steadily wearing down ever since.

4/22/2026

Amen
The Hebrew word translated “amen” literally means “truly” or “so be it.” “Amen” is also found in the Greek New Testament and has the same meaning. Nearly half of the Old Testament uses of amen are found in the book of Deuteronomy. In each case, the people are responding to curses pronounced by God on various sins. Each pronouncement is followed by the words “and all the people shall say Amen” (Deuteronomy 27:15-26). This indicates that the people applauded the righteous sentence handed down by their holy God, responding, “So let it be.” The amen attested to the conviction of the hearers that the sentences which they heard were true, just, and certain. Seven of the Old Testament references link amen with praise. The sentence “Then all the people said ‘Amen’ and ‘Praise the LORD,’” found in 1 Chronicles 16:36, typifies the connection between amen and praise. In Nehemiah 5:13 and 8:6, the people of Israel affirm Ezra’s exalting of God by worshiping the Lord and obeying Him. The highest expression of praise to God is obedience, and when we say “amen” to His commands and pronouncements, our praise is sweet music to His ears. Most of the New Testament writers use “amen” at the end of their epistles. The apostle John uses it (in the KJV) at the end of his gospel, two of his three letters, and the book of Revelation, where it appears nine times. Each time it is connected with praising and glorifying God and referring to the second coming and the end of the age. Paul says “amen” to the blessings he pronounces on all the churches in his letters to them, as do Peter and Jude in their letters (KJV). The implication is that they are saying, “May it be that the Lord will truly grant these blessings upon you.” When Christians say “amen” at the end of our prayers, we are following the model of the apostles, asking God to “please let it be as we have prayed.” Remembering the connection between amen and the praise of obedience, all prayers should be prayed according to the will of God. Then when we say “amen,” we can be confident that God will respond “so be it” and grant our requests (John 14:13; 1 John 5:14).

Amen

The Hebrew word translated “amen” literally means “truly” or “so be it.” “Amen” is also found in the Greek New Testament and has the same meaning. Nearly half of the Old Testament uses of amen are found in the book of Deuteronomy. In each case, the people are responding to curses pronounced by God on various sins. Each pronouncement is followed by the words “and all the people shall say Amen” (Deuteronomy 27:15-26). This indicates that the people applauded the righteous sentence handed down by their holy God, responding, “So let it be.” The amen attested to the conviction of the hearers that the sentences which they heard were true, just, and certain.

Seven of the Old Testament references link amen with praise. The sentence “Then all the people said ‘Amen’ and ‘Praise the LORD,’” found in 1 Chronicles 16:36, typifies the connection between amen and praise. In Nehemiah 5:13 and 8:6, the people of Israel affirm Ezra’s exalting of God by worshiping the Lord and obeying Him. The highest expression of praise to God is obedience, and when we say “amen” to His commands and pronouncements, our praise is sweet music to His ears.

Most of the New Testament writers use “amen” at the end of their epistles. The apostle John uses it (in the KJV) at the end of his gospel, two of his three letters, and the book of Revelation, where it appears nine times. Each time it is connected with praising and glorifying God and referring to the second coming and the end of the age. Paul says “amen” to the blessings he pronounces on all the churches in his letters to them, as do Peter and Jude in their letters (KJV). The implication is that they are saying, “May it be that the Lord will truly grant these blessings upon you.”

When Christians say “amen” at the end of our prayers, we are following the model of the apostles, asking God to “please let it be as we have prayed.” Remembering the connection between amen and the praise of obedience, all prayers should be prayed according to the will of God. Then when we say “amen,” we can be confident that God will respond “so be it” and grant our requests (John 14:13; 1 John 5:14).

4/21/2026

The Liver
An adult human liver is about the size of a small football. It weighs about three pounds, making it the body’s largest internal organ. Tucked neatly beneath the ribs, your liver performs more than 500 different tasks. It is a vital link between your heart, lungs, and digestive system. Inside the liver is a bewildering array of microscopic veins in which each drop of blood is processed. Here, blood conditions are constantly monitored to make sure that its chemistry meets strict standards. If more of some substances are needed in the blood, they are supplied. Useless chemicals are broken down into useful chemicals. Your liver makes proteins, and corrects blood clotting factors. Your liver also sees to it that hormone balances are maintained and that poisons are neutralized. If substances are needed to fight an infection, your liver makes them and adds them to the bloodstream. Your liver also stores vitamins and minerals and prepares itself to provide your body with quick energy when you need it. In addition, the liver makes bile, which is essential for digestion. Structures like the liver have caused many evolutionists to abandon the idea that life is a result of millions of years of accidents. The liver is just too well-designed and integrated into the body to have been produced by purposelessness and mindlessness. As Scripture says, truly God has formed our inward parts!

The Liver

An adult human liver is about the size of a small football. It weighs about three pounds, making it the body’s largest internal organ. Tucked neatly beneath the ribs, your liver performs more than 500 different tasks. It is a vital link between your heart, lungs, and digestive system.

Inside the liver is a bewildering array of microscopic veins in which each drop of blood is processed. Here, blood conditions are constantly monitored to make sure that its chemistry meets strict standards. If more of some substances are needed in the blood, they are supplied. Useless chemicals are broken down into useful chemicals. Your liver makes proteins, and corrects blood clotting factors. Your liver also sees to it that hormone balances are maintained and that poisons are neutralized. If substances are needed to fight an infection, your liver makes them and adds them to the bloodstream. Your liver also stores vitamins and minerals and prepares itself to provide your body with quick energy when you need it. In addition, the liver makes bile, which is essential for digestion.

Structures like the liver have caused many evolutionists to abandon the idea that life is a result of millions of years of accidents. The liver is just too well-designed and integrated into the body to have been produced by purposelessness and mindlessness. As Scripture says, truly God has formed our inward parts!

4/20/2026

Locusts
When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to release the Israelites, the Lord sent the eighth plague upon Egypt: locusts. Moses warned Pharaoh that the swarm would be so dense the ground itself would disappear from sight (Exodus 10:4–6). Scripture emphasizes that nothing like it had ever happened before, nor would anything like it ever happen again. Modern locust plagues help us grasp the devastation Egypt endured because of Pharaoh’s hard heart. A single locust weighs only about two grams and must eat its own weight each day. That seems insignificant until you consider a swarm that can stretch across 400 square miles, with 100 to 200 million locusts packed into each square mile. A swarm of that size can consume roughly 80,000 tons of food in a single day, enough to feed 40,000 people for an entire year. Locusts can arrive suddenly, just as they did in Egypt. Desert locusts are capable of flying nonstop for distances up to 1,600 miles. Understanding the destructive power of an ordinary locust swarm does not diminish God’s miracle. It magnifies it. The plague described in Exodus was not merely severe, it was unmatched in all of history, exactly as God declared. Exodus 10:4 “Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast.”

Locusts

When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to release the Israelites, the Lord sent the eighth plague upon Egypt: locusts. Moses warned Pharaoh that the swarm would be so dense the ground itself would disappear from sight (Exodus 10:4–6). Scripture emphasizes that nothing like it had ever happened before, nor would anything like it ever happen again.

Modern locust plagues help us grasp the devastation Egypt endured because of Pharaoh’s hard heart. A single locust weighs only about two grams and must eat its own weight each day. That seems insignificant until you consider a swarm that can stretch across 400 square miles, with 100 to 200 million locusts packed into each square mile. A swarm of that size can consume roughly 80,000 tons of food in a single day, enough to feed 40,000 people for an entire year.

Locusts can arrive suddenly, just as they did in Egypt. Desert locusts are capable of flying nonstop for distances up to 1,600 miles. Understanding the destructive power of an ordinary locust swarm does not diminish God’s miracle. It magnifies it. The plague described in Exodus was not merely severe, it was unmatched in all of history, exactly as God declared.

Exodus 10:4
“Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast.”

4/19/2026

Sheep
In The Bible we are described as sheep who have gone astray and taught that God is the good shepherd and that we should follow Him. Why you might ask was the example of the shepherd and his sheep chosen? 1. Sheep lack a sense of direction. Unlike cats and dogs, sheep can get lost easily—even in the familiar environment of their own territory. So it is with believers—we cannot guide ourselves. We must rely completely on the Word of God and the voice of our Shepherd-Savior. 2. Sheep are virtually defenseless. Most animals have a rather effective means of defense—sharp claws; teeth; speed; ability to hide; keenness of smell, sight, and hearing; great strength; ferocity. But sheep are awkward, weak, and ignorant; they have spindle legs and tiny hoofs, and are pitifully slow, even devoid of an angry growl. Defenseless! The only sure protection for the sheep is the ever watchful shepherd. So it is with the believer, who is admonished to be strong—”in the Lord” (Ephesians 6:10). 3. Sheep are easily frightened. Being ignorant, unimpressive in stature, and very much aware of their weakness, sheep find comfort only in their shepherd’s presence, including his reassuring songs in the night. Psalm 27:1 also refers to this type of Shepherd-Lord relationship that we have with God. 4. Sheep are, by nature, unclean. Other animals lick, scrape, and roll in the grass to cleanse themselves—but not sheep. They will remain filthy indefinitely unless the shepherd cleanses them. We, too, by nature are unclean and filthy. Apart from our tender Shepherd’s cleansing (1 John 1:7–9) we would remain perpetually dirty. 5. Sheep cannot find food or water. While most animals have a keen sense of smell, sheep depend upon their shepherd completely. If left to themselves, sheep will eat poisonous weeds and die—and when one does it, the others will follow the leader. Again, as children of God, we are equally dependent. 6. The sheep’s wool does not belong to the sheep. While sheep may produce wool, the shepherd owns their wool. All bona fide spiritual production in the life of the Christian belongs to the Lord. The Lord, by means of the Holy Spirit, provides for all such production. In every way, you see, we are indeed “His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3).

Sheep

In The Bible we are described as sheep who have gone astray and taught that God is the good shepherd and that we should follow Him. Why you might ask was the example of the shepherd and his sheep chosen?

1. Sheep lack a sense of direction. Unlike cats and dogs, sheep can get lost easily—even in the familiar environment of their own territory. So it is with believers—we cannot guide ourselves. We must rely completely on the Word of God and the voice of our Shepherd-Savior.

2. Sheep are virtually defenseless. Most animals have a rather effective means of defense—sharp claws; teeth; speed; ability to hide; keenness of smell, sight, and hearing; great strength; ferocity. But sheep are awkward, weak, and ignorant; they have spindle legs and tiny hoofs, and are pitifully slow, even devoid of an angry growl. Defenseless! The only sure protection for the sheep is the ever watchful shepherd. So it is with the believer, who is admonished to be strong—”in the Lord” (Ephesians 6:10).

3. Sheep are easily frightened. Being ignorant, unimpressive in stature, and very much aware of their weakness, sheep find comfort only in their shepherd’s presence, including his reassuring songs in the night. Psalm 27:1 also refers to this type of Shepherd-Lord relationship that we have with God.

4. Sheep are, by nature, unclean. Other animals lick, scrape, and roll in the grass to cleanse themselves—but not sheep. They will remain filthy indefinitely unless the shepherd cleanses them. We, too, by nature are unclean and filthy. Apart from our tender Shepherd’s cleansing (1 John 1:7–9) we would remain perpetually dirty.

5. Sheep cannot find food or water. While most animals have a keen sense of smell, sheep depend upon their shepherd completely. If left to themselves, sheep will eat poisonous weeds and die—and when one does it, the others will follow the leader. Again, as children of God, we are equally dependent.

6. The sheep’s wool does not belong to the sheep. While sheep may produce wool, the shepherd owns their wool. All bona fide spiritual production in the life of the Christian belongs to the Lord. The Lord, by means of the Holy Spirit, provides for all such production.

In every way, you see, we are indeed “His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3).

4/18/2026

Flogging
The Roman flogging or scourging that Jesus endured prior to being crucified normally consisted of 39 lashes, but could have been more (Mark 15:15; John 19:1). The whip that was used, called a flagrum, consisted of braided leather thongs with metal balls and pieces of sharp bone woven into or intertwined with the braids. The balls added weight to the whip, causing deep bruising as the victim was struck. The pieces of bone served to cut into the flesh. As the beating continued, the resulting cuts were so severe that the skeletal muscles, underlying veins, sinews, and bowels of victims were exposed. This beating was so severe that at times victims would not survive it in order to go on to be crucified. Those who were flogged would often go into hypovolemic shock, a term that refers to low blood volume. In other words, the person would have lost so much blood he would go into shock. The results of this would be: 1) The heart would race to pump blood that was not there. 2) The victim would collapse or faint due to low blood pressure. 3) The kidneys would shut down to preserve body fluids. 4) The person would experience extreme thirst as the body desired to replenish lost fluids. There is evidence from Scripture that Jesus experienced hypovolemic shock as a result of being flogged. As Jesus carried His own cross to Golgotha (John 19:17), He collapsed, and a man named Simon was forced to either carry the cross or help Jesus carry the cross the rest of the way to the hill (Matthew 27:32–33; Mark 15:21–22; Luke 23:26). This collapse indicates Jesus had low blood pressure. Another indicator that Jesus suffered from hypovolemic shock was that He declared He was thirsty as He hung on the cross (John 19:28), indicating His body’s desire to replenish fluids. Prior to death, the sustained rapid heartbeat caused by hypovolemic shock also causes fluid to gather in the sack around the heart and around the lungs. This gathering of fluid in the membrane around the heart is called pericardial effusion, and the fluid gathering around the lungs is called pleural effusion. This explains why, after Jesus died and a Roman soldier thrust a spear through Jesus’ side, piercing both the lungs and the heart, blood and water came from His side just as John recorded in his Gospel (John 19:34).

Flogging

The Roman flogging or scourging that Jesus endured prior to being crucified normally consisted of 39 lashes, but could have been more (Mark 15:15; John 19:1). The whip that was used, called a flagrum, consisted of braided leather thongs with metal balls and pieces of sharp bone woven into or intertwined with the braids. The balls added weight to the whip, causing deep bruising as the victim was struck. The pieces of bone served to cut into the flesh. As the beating continued, the resulting cuts were so severe that the skeletal muscles, underlying veins, sinews, and bowels of victims were exposed. This beating was so severe that at times victims would not survive it in order to go on to be crucified.

Those who were flogged would often go into hypovolemic shock, a term that refers to low blood volume. In other words, the person would have lost so much blood he would go into shock. The results of this would be:

1) The heart would race to pump blood that was not there.
2) The victim would collapse or faint due to low blood pressure.
3) The kidneys would shut down to preserve body fluids.
4) The person would experience extreme thirst as the body desired to replenish lost fluids.

There is evidence from Scripture that Jesus experienced hypovolemic shock as a result of being flogged. As Jesus carried His own cross to Golgotha (John 19:17), He collapsed, and a man named Simon was forced to either carry the cross or help Jesus carry the cross the rest of the way to the hill (Matthew 27:32–33; Mark 15:21–22; Luke 23:26). This collapse indicates Jesus had low blood pressure. Another indicator that Jesus suffered from hypovolemic shock was that He declared He was thirsty as He hung on the cross (John 19:28), indicating His body’s desire to replenish fluids.

Prior to death, the sustained rapid heartbeat caused by hypovolemic shock also causes fluid to gather in the sack around the heart and around the lungs. This gathering of fluid in the membrane around the heart is called pericardial effusion, and the fluid gathering around the lungs is called pleural effusion. This explains why, after Jesus died and a Roman soldier thrust a spear through Jesus’ side, piercing both the lungs and the heart, blood and water came from His side just as John recorded in his Gospel (John 19:34).

4/17/2026

The Brain
While the brain weighs only three pounds, it can do the work of 1,000 supercomputers. It doesn’t need to be connected to a power source and it doesn’t overheat because it is able to make its own electricity and it operates on only microvolts of power. If your brain’s 10 trillion cells were placed end to end, they would stretch for over 100,000 miles. Your brain has the capacity to store every word of every book on a bookshelf 500 miles long.

The Brain

While the brain weighs only three pounds, it can do the work of 1,000 supercomputers. It doesn’t need to be connected to a power source and it doesn’t overheat because it is able to make its own electricity and it operates on only microvolts of power. If your brain’s 10 trillion cells were placed end to end, they would stretch for over 100,000 miles. Your brain has the capacity to store every word of every book on a bookshelf 500 miles long.

4/16/2026

The Veil
The veil at the entrance to the Temple’s Holy Of Holies was no ordinary curtain. God gave specific design instructions to Moses. Bible scholars say the veil was 50 feet wide and 30 feet high, made of fine linen with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. It was so heavy that it took 300 priests (150 to the right and 150 to the left) to pull it back for the high priest to enter through the middle. To raise and lower it, 150 oxen were used to pull it into place. It was comprised of 200 embroidered squares that, when put together, displayed beautiful gold cherubim.

The Veil

The veil at the entrance to the Temple’s Holy Of Holies was no ordinary curtain. God gave specific design instructions to Moses. Bible scholars say the veil was 50 feet wide and 30 feet high, made of fine linen with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. It was so heavy that it took 300 priests (150 to the right and 150 to the left) to pull it back for the high priest to enter through the middle. To raise and lower it, 150 oxen were used to pull it into place. It was comprised of 200 embroidered squares that, when put together, displayed beautiful gold cherubim.

4/15/2026

Folding of the American Flag
Most Americans have seen the traditional folding of the American flag, at specific events, such as funerals. Have you ever wondered why Old Glory is folded that specific way? Much more than just pomp and circumstance, each of the 13 folds holds special meaning. The Flag Itself The portion of the flag denoting honor is the canton of blue containing the stars representing states our veterans served in uniform. The field of blue dresses from left to right and is inverted only when draped as a funeral cloth over the casket of a veteran who has served our country honorably in uniform. In the U.S. Armed Forces, at the ceremony of retreat, the flag is lowered, folded in a triangle, and kept under watch throughout the night as a tribute to our nation’s honored dead. The next morning it is brought out and, at a ceremony of reveille, flown high as a symbol of belief in the resurrection of the body. Meaning Behind the 13 Folds The flag-folding ceremony represents the same religious principles on which our great country was originally founded. 1. The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life. 2. The second fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life. 3. The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks, and who gave a portion of his or her life for the defense of our country to attain peace throughout the world. 4. The fourth fold represents our weaker nature; as American citizens trusting in God, it is Him we turn to in times of peace, as well as in times of war, for His divine guidance. 5. The fifth fold is a tribute to our country. In the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right, but it is still our country, right or wrong.” 6. The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 7. The seventh fold is a tribute to our armed forces, for it is through the armed forces that we protect our country and our flag against all enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic. 8. The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor our mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day. 9. The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood. It has been through their faith, love, loyalty, and devotion that has molded the character of the men and women who have made this country great. 10. The 10th fold is a tribute to father, who has also given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since he or she was first born. 11. The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 12. The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost. 13. The 13th and last fold, when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.” After the Folding Ceremony After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it has the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under Gen. George Washington and the sailors and Marines who served under Capt. John Paul Jones and were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the U.S. Armed Forces, preserving for us the rights, privileges, and freedoms we enjoy today. The source and the date of origin of this Flag Folding Procedure is unknown. However, some sources attribute it to the Gold Star Mothers of America while others to an Air Force chaplain stationed at the United States Air Force Academy. Some sources also indicate that the 13 folds are a nod to the original first 13 colonies. The flag folding ceremony is provided as a patriotic service. VA Policy on Flag-Folding Recitation of “13-Fold” Ceremony To ensure burial services at the 143 national cemeteries operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs reflect the wishes of veterans and their families, VA officials have clarified the department’s policy about recitations made while the U.S. flag is folded at the grave site of a veteran. “Honoring the burial wishes of veterans is one of the highest commitments for the men and women of VA,” said William F. Tuerk, VA’s undersecretary for Memorial Affairs. “A family may request the recitation of words to accompany the meaningful presentation of the American flag as we honor the dedication and sacrifice of their loved ones.” Traditional grave site military funeral honors include the silent folding and presentation of a U.S. flag, three rifle volleys and the playing of “Taps.”

Folding of the American Flag

Most Americans have seen the traditional folding of the American flag, at specific events, such as funerals. Have you ever wondered why Old Glory is folded that specific way? Much more than just pomp and circumstance, each of the 13 folds holds special meaning.

The Flag Itself
The portion of the flag denoting honor is the canton of blue containing the stars representing states our veterans served in uniform. The field of blue dresses from left to right and is inverted only when draped as a funeral cloth over the casket of a veteran who has served our country honorably in uniform. In the U.S. Armed Forces, at the ceremony of retreat, the flag is lowered, folded in a triangle, and kept under watch throughout the night as a tribute to our nation’s honored dead. The next morning it is brought out and, at a ceremony of reveille, flown high as a symbol of belief in the resurrection of the body.

Meaning Behind the 13 Folds
The flag-folding ceremony represents the same religious principles on which our great country was originally founded.
1. The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
2. The second fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life.
3. The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks, and who gave a portion of his or her life for the defense of our country to attain peace throughout the world.
4. The fourth fold represents our weaker nature; as American citizens trusting in God, it is Him we turn to in times of peace, as well as in times of war, for His divine guidance.
5. The fifth fold is a tribute to our country. In the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right, but it is still our country, right or wrong.”
6. The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
7. The seventh fold is a tribute to our armed forces, for it is through the armed forces that we protect our country and our flag against all enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.
8. The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor our mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.
9. The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood. It has been through their faith, love, loyalty, and devotion that has molded the character of the men and women who have made this country great.
10. The 10th fold is a tribute to father, who has also given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since he or she was first born.
11. The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
12. The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost.
13. The 13th and last fold, when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.”

After the Folding Ceremony
After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it has the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under Gen. George Washington and the sailors and Marines who served under Capt. John Paul Jones and were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the U.S. Armed Forces, preserving for us the rights, privileges, and freedoms we enjoy today.

The source and the date of origin of this Flag Folding Procedure is unknown. However, some sources attribute it to the Gold Star Mothers of America while others to an Air Force chaplain stationed at the United States Air Force Academy. Some sources also indicate that the 13 folds are a nod to the original first 13 colonies. The flag folding ceremony is provided as a patriotic service.

VA Policy on Flag-Folding Recitation of “13-Fold” Ceremony
To ensure burial services at the 143 national cemeteries operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs reflect the wishes of veterans and their families, VA officials have clarified the department’s policy about recitations made while the U.S. flag is folded at the grave site of a veteran.

“Honoring the burial wishes of veterans is one of the highest commitments for the men and women of VA,” said William F. Tuerk, VA’s undersecretary for Memorial Affairs. “A family may request the recitation of words to accompany the meaningful presentation of the American flag as we honor the dedication and sacrifice of their loved ones.”

Traditional grave site military funeral honors include the silent folding and presentation of a U.S. flag, three rifle volleys and the playing of “Taps.”

4/14/2026

Beaver Engineering
Beavers are intelligent, industrious and ingenious rodents. These animals are experts at constructing elaborate water control projects with dams, lodges, canals, and locks. Beavers build dams to form deep ponds to protect themselves against predators and to store winter food beneath ice. Some experiments suggest that running water sounds stimulate dam building. Beavers survey streams before building dams. They invariably build at the most advantageous location: requiring minimum material while producing maximum pond size and adjacent food supplies. Dam locations optimizing these three factors are impossible for most humans to determine. Beavers build dams from the bottom up. They begin by making ridges of mud, gravel, and rock across stream beds. Next they jam logs vertically into the mound, angled upstream. Then they weave branches through the logs. Branches on the downstream side are placed parallel to the stream flow and anchored in mud to structurally support the dam. Finally they plaster the latticework dam with mud to seal it. One technique beavers use to chink dams is to violently kick up mud and stones with their powerful hind feet. The current carries the material into the dam. Beavers incorporate existing boulders or downed trees into dams. Dams often arc upstream, a structurally stronger configuration. Beavers frequently build smaller dams downstream to back water up against the downstream side of the main dam to counterbalance water pressure on the upstream side. Beavers, especially males, make frequent detailed dam inspections and repairs. Beaver lodges are domes of interlaced branches, typically in upper sections of ponds. Most are five to 10 feet across and six to eight feet high, but some dig underwater tunnels into the bottom and gnaw out interior dens above water level. Lodges may have five across and two feet high. Beavers build dams before lodges because they must know water levels to construct dry dens. Beavers occasionally build lodges atop floating vegetation mats to accommodate extreme fluctuations in water levels. Such lodges rise and fall with water levels, avoiding flooding. Beavers dig mud from stream bottoms to deepen waterways and chink dams and lodges. They carry armfuls of mud or stones between forepaws and chins, walking upright on hind legs up the sides of lodges pounds nightly. Beavers dig complex networks of channels in pond bottoms for underwater “roads.” Channels facilitate navigation and provide more swimming room at low water levels and when ponds ice over. Beavers dig canals radiating from ponds for predator-safe inland water routes. Some canals from ponds are underground tunnels accessed from land by plunge holes. Using canals, beavers pursue far-flung food sources and float logs back to lodge or dam instead of dragging them over land. Some canals are over 1000 feet long. Canal dams are built to form lock-like structures of stepped canals to reach “uphill” trees. Stepped-canal construction requires greater ingenuity and waterworks experience than lodge or dam building and exhibits the beaver at his engineering best. Evolved or created? How do beavers know how to build dams, canals, and locks, and how to adjust water levels with spillways? Where do beavers get their work ethic? Why are beavers so well designed for swimming, digging, and logging – three totally distinct activities? Why are there no “semi-beaver” fossils? Evolutionism has no answer. So many essential features could not have evolved by random chance and natural selection. They must exist and function from the beginning for beavers to survive. The Creator designed the amazing beaver, building into the DNA of the original beaver pair all the requisite knowledge and instructions.

Beaver Engineering

Beavers are intelligent, industrious and ingenious rodents. These animals are experts at constructing elaborate water control projects with dams, lodges, canals, and locks.

Beavers build dams to form deep ponds to protect themselves against predators and to store winter food beneath ice. Some experiments suggest that running water sounds stimulate dam building.

Beavers survey streams before building dams. They invariably build at the most advantageous location: requiring minimum material while producing maximum pond size and adjacent food supplies.

Dam locations optimizing these three factors are impossible for most humans to determine.

Beavers build dams from the bottom up. They begin by making ridges of mud, gravel, and rock across stream beds.

Next they jam logs vertically into the mound, angled upstream. Then they weave branches through the logs. Branches on the downstream side are placed parallel to the stream flow and anchored in mud to structurally support the dam. Finally they plaster the latticework dam with mud to seal it.

One technique beavers use to chink dams is to violently kick up mud and stones with their powerful hind feet. The current carries the material into the dam.

Beavers incorporate existing boulders or downed trees into dams. Dams often arc upstream, a structurally stronger configuration. Beavers frequently build smaller dams downstream to back water up against the downstream side of the main dam to counterbalance water pressure on the upstream side.

Beavers, especially males, make frequent detailed dam inspections and repairs. Beaver lodges are domes of interlaced branches, typically in upper sections of ponds. Most are five to 10 feet across and six to eight feet high, but some dig underwater tunnels into the bottom and gnaw out interior dens above water level. Lodges may have five across and two feet high. Beavers build dams before lodges because they must know water levels to construct dry dens.

Beavers occasionally build lodges atop floating vegetation mats to accommodate extreme fluctuations in water levels. Such lodges rise and fall with water levels, avoiding flooding.

Beavers dig mud from stream bottoms to deepen waterways and chink dams and lodges. They carry armfuls of mud or stones between forepaws and chins, walking upright on hind legs up the sides of lodges pounds nightly.

Beavers dig complex networks of channels in pond bottoms for underwater “roads.” Channels facilitate navigation and provide more swimming room at low water levels and when ponds ice over.

Beavers dig canals radiating from ponds for predator-safe inland water routes. Some canals from ponds are underground tunnels accessed from land by plunge holes. Using canals, beavers pursue far-flung food sources and float logs back to lodge or dam instead of dragging them over land. Some canals are over 1000 feet long. Canal dams are built to form lock-like structures of stepped canals to reach “uphill” trees. Stepped-canal construction requires greater ingenuity and waterworks experience than lodge or dam building and exhibits the beaver at his engineering best.

Evolved or created?

How do beavers know how to build dams, canals, and locks, and how to adjust water levels with spillways?

Where do beavers get their work ethic?

Why are beavers so well designed for swimming, digging, and logging – three totally distinct activities?

Why are there no “semi-beaver” fossils?

Evolutionism has no answer. So many essential features could not have evolved by random chance and natural selection. They must exist and function from the beginning for beavers to survive.

The Creator designed the amazing beaver, building into the DNA of the original beaver pair all the requisite knowledge and instructions.

4/13/2026

Gap Theory
In 1814, Thomas Chalmers was a young Scottish clergyman with an interest in geology. He had grown up with the deep-time views of James Hutton, and the work of more contemporary geologists seems to have caused Chalmers difficulties in accepting these ideas along with the book of Genesis. So it was that in 1814, Chalmers wrote a review of Georges Cuvier’s book Theory of the Earth. Cuvier was a catastrophist. That is, he believed that fossils were caused by flooding. However, to accommodate Hutton’s views on long ages, Cuvier accepted multiple floods rather than one Flood, equating the last of these floods with that of Genesis 6 through 8. Chalmers wrote: “It is true that his theory approximates to the book of Genesis more nearly than those of many of his predecessors.” While that may indeed be true, it should be noted that Cuvier was still prepared to accept long ages because of opinions from outside the Bible, and the young Chalmers accepted these ages. So Chalmers developed his own idea. Instead of multiple catastrophism, he had two – the actual Flood and an earlier flood, thousands or even millions of years earlier, caused, so he said, by Lucifer’s sin in heaven. This early Luciferian flood had to be fitted into Scripture, so Chalmers believed that these events must have been after God had set the world going but before the events of Genesis 1:2 onwards. For this reason, Chalmers’ ideas became known as the Gap Theory. Exodus 20 reminds us that the initial creation of everything was part of the six-day creation week. So we see that Chalmers’ elegant compromise is not possible.

Gap Theory

In 1814, Thomas Chalmers was a young Scottish clergyman with an interest in geology. He had grown up with the deep-time views of James Hutton, and the work of more contemporary geologists seems to have caused Chalmers difficulties in accepting these ideas along with the book of Genesis. So it was that in 1814, Chalmers wrote a review of Georges Cuvier’s book Theory of the Earth. Cuvier was a catastrophist. That is, he believed that fossils were caused by flooding. However, to accommodate Hutton’s views on long ages, Cuvier accepted multiple floods rather than one Flood, equating the last of these floods with that of Genesis 6 through 8.

Chalmers wrote: “It is true that his theory approximates to the book of Genesis more nearly than those of many of his predecessors.” While that may indeed be true, it should be noted that Cuvier was still prepared to accept long ages because of opinions from outside the Bible, and the young Chalmers accepted these ages. So Chalmers developed his own idea. Instead of multiple catastrophism, he had two – the actual Flood and an earlier flood, thousands or even millions of years earlier, caused, so he said, by Lucifer’s sin in heaven. This early Luciferian flood had to be fitted into Scripture, so Chalmers believed that these events must have been after God had set the world going but before the events of Genesis 1:2 onwards. For this reason, Chalmers’ ideas became known as the Gap Theory.

Exodus 20 reminds us that the initial creation of everything was part of the six-day creation week. So we see that Chalmers’ elegant compromise is not possible.

4/12/2026

God Chooses The Despised & Unlikely To Serve
If you wanted to lead an exodus of two million people out of Egypt, who would you choose to confront Pharaoh—a Jew or a fellow Egyptian? Be honest, now. And if you chose a Jew, would you choose a man with murder on his record? And would he be eighty years old? And would you select a leather-skinned shepherd who hadn’t been in a big city for forty years? See, the further you look, the more surprising it gets. Moses’ resumé was pretty unimpressive: “Worked for father-in-law as shepherd for past forty years.” He was an over-the-hill Bedouin. Would you have chosen a harlot to hide the spies? Would you have chosen a defecting, rebellious prophet to lead the Greater Nineveh Evangelistic Crusade? Would you have chosen a former Christian-hating Pharisee to model grace and to write most of the New Testament? Would you have chosen a man who denied Jesus (three times!) as the major spokesman for the early church? But, you see, God does surprising things. That’s why He lifts a no-name Jew from the gate of the king and makes him a prime minister. God delights in lifting up nobodies and using them as somebodies. As Paul writes to the Corinthians, “not many mighty, not many noble”—in other words, not many bluebloods are chosen. He has chosen the despised and many of the losers of the world to follow the One who died on a cross and to bring ultimate victory for us all. So, as you have seen so clearly in the book of Esther, the God who seems not to be present is, in fact, ever-present, omnipotent, and in complete control. And so He is in your life too.

God Chooses The Despised & Unlikely To Serve

If you wanted to lead an exodus of two million people out of Egypt, who would you choose to confront Pharaoh—a Jew or a fellow Egyptian? Be honest, now. And if you chose a Jew, would you choose a man with murder on his record? And would he be eighty years old? And would you select a leather-skinned shepherd who hadn’t been in a big city for forty years? See, the further you look, the more surprising it gets. Moses’ resumé was pretty unimpressive: “Worked for father-in-law as shepherd for past forty years.” He was an over-the-hill Bedouin.

Would you have chosen a harlot to hide the spies? Would you have chosen a defecting, rebellious prophet to lead the Greater Nineveh Evangelistic Crusade? Would you have chosen a former Christian-hating Pharisee to model grace and to write most of the New Testament? Would you have chosen a man who denied Jesus (three times!) as the major spokesman for the early church?

But, you see, God does surprising things. That’s why He lifts a no-name Jew from the gate of the king and makes him a prime minister. God delights in lifting up nobodies and using them as somebodies. As Paul writes to the Corinthians, “not many mighty, not many noble”—in other words, not many bluebloods are chosen. He has chosen the despised and many of the losers of the world to follow the One who died on a cross and to bring ultimate victory for us all. So, as you have seen so clearly in the book of Esther, the God who seems not to be present is, in fact, ever-present, omnipotent, and in complete control. And so He is in your life too.

4/11/2026

God’s Promises To The Jews
These promises are found in the four covenants that the Lord made with the Jewish people down through the years. The first was the “Abrahamic Covenant”, Genesis 12, made to Abraham that Yahweh would make him a great nation through the “sons of promise”, Isaac and Jacob. The “Land Covenant”, Deuteronomy 30, is the eternal promise for the Jews and the “land” that Yahweh will give them at the time of the Kingdom. Speaking of the Kingdom, it is to be an eternal Kingdom, headquartered in Jerusalem with the Messiah, Jesus Christ on the “throne” in a “Temple” on the Temple Mount, as promised by the “Davidic Covenant”, 2 Samuel 7. The “New Covenant” is given, not to the Church, but to the Jewish people, Jeremiah 31:31, and it will be fulfilled when the Lord puts His Word in the hearts of the Jews and they become His people and Yahweh becomes their God.

God’s Promises To The Jews

These promises are found in the four covenants that the Lord made with the Jewish people down through the years. The first was the “Abrahamic Covenant”, Genesis 12, made to Abraham that Yahweh would make him a great nation through the “sons of promise”, Isaac and Jacob.

The “Land Covenant”, Deuteronomy 30, is the eternal promise for the Jews and the “land” that Yahweh will give them at the time of the Kingdom. Speaking of the Kingdom, it is to be an eternal Kingdom, headquartered in Jerusalem with the Messiah, Jesus Christ on the “throne” in a “Temple” on the Temple Mount, as promised by the “Davidic Covenant”, 2 Samuel 7.

The “New Covenant” is given, not to the Church, but to the Jewish people, Jeremiah 31:31, and it will be fulfilled when the Lord puts His Word in the hearts of the Jews and they become His people and Yahweh becomes their God.

4/10/2026

Junk DNA
At the time of the Scope’s Trial of 1925, several organs of the body were labeled as ‘vestigial’. By this, it was meant that the organ has no purpose and has been ‘left behind’ by the onward march of evolution. Examples of such organs are the coccyx and the appendix. Today, both of these are known to have actual functions and are, hence, not vestigial. All of the other systems identified during the Scope’s Trial as vestigial have now been found to have a use. Many scientists – including many evolutionists – would now suggest that an organ labeled as vestigial is simply one for which the purpose has not yet been found. Similar arguments have been made about parts of DNA, which have been labeled as Junk DNA because they have no known purpose. Scientists are now casting doubt on the ‘junk’ nature of such DNA segments. Indeed, searching for junk DNA on Wikipedia will lead you to an article entitled Non-Coding DNA. But scientific articles are showing that these DNA segments are probably not non-coding, but the purpose of the coding is not yet known. An example of this is a recent article, showing that mutations in a so-called non-coding section could actually cause genetic illnesses such as autism. Researchers actually made predictions of what such mutations would cause and then demonstrated that these predictions seemed to be correct. Such segments of DNA are not junk, nor even non-coding. We just might not have discovered their purpose yet.

Junk DNA

At the time of the Scope’s Trial of 1925, several organs of the body were labeled as ‘vestigial’. By this, it was meant that the organ has no purpose and has been ‘left behind’ by the onward march of evolution. Examples of such organs are the coccyx and the appendix. Today, both of these are known to have actual functions and are, hence, not vestigial. All of the other systems identified during the Scope’s Trial as vestigial have now been found to have a use. Many scientists – including many evolutionists – would now suggest that an organ labeled as vestigial is simply one for which the purpose has not yet been found.

Similar arguments have been made about parts of DNA, which have been labeled as Junk DNA because they have no known purpose. Scientists are now casting doubt on the ‘junk’ nature of such DNA segments. Indeed, searching for junk DNA on Wikipedia will lead you to an article entitled Non-Coding DNA. But scientific articles are showing that these DNA segments are probably not non-coding, but the purpose of the coding is not yet known. An example of this is a recent article, showing that mutations in a so-called non-coding section could actually cause genetic illnesses such as autism. Researchers actually made predictions of what such mutations would cause and then demonstrated that these predictions seemed to be correct. Such segments of DNA are not junk, nor even non-coding. We just might not have discovered their purpose yet.

4/9/2026

Largest Animal
The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever existed. Every statistic that we find about these giants is overwhelming. A blue whale’s tongue is larger than an elephant. Its flipper can be about six feet long – as long as a man is tall. A baby blue whale is the size of two minivans. Their mouths could hold 400 people. Yet the creatures they eat – krill – are only about half an inch long. They swallow vast amounts of water, then filter it back through their baleen – the strange keratin filter-like structure that they have in their mouths. They eat four tons of krill a day. That is 4 million of the tiny creatures. Babies consume 50 to 100 gallons of milk per day. The blue whale’s tail is as wide as a soccer net. One of these whales can dive to nearly 1,000 feet, and they can stay there for 30 minutes, without needing a breath. The water that they blow through their blowhole can jet up to 30 feet high. In short, these are magnificent animals, clearly illustrating the greatness and the beauty of God’s creation. We read in Genesis 1:21 that God made them on the fifth day of creation: “And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly.” The word translated as whales could also refer to other large sea creatures, but it certainly includes these beautiful, amazing giants of the ocean.

Largest Animal

The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever existed. Every statistic that we find about these giants is overwhelming.

A blue whale’s tongue is larger than an elephant. Its flipper can be about six feet long – as long as a man is tall. A baby blue whale is the size of two minivans. Their mouths could hold 400 people. Yet the creatures they eat – krill – are only about half an inch long. They swallow vast amounts of water, then filter it back through their baleen – the strange keratin filter-like structure that they have in their mouths. They eat four tons of krill a day. That is 4 million of the tiny creatures. Babies consume 50 to 100 gallons of milk per day. The blue whale’s tail is as wide as a soccer net. One of these whales can dive to nearly 1,000 feet, and they can stay there for 30 minutes, without needing a breath. The water that they blow through their blowhole can jet up to 30 feet high.

In short, these are magnificent animals, clearly illustrating the greatness and the beauty of God’s creation. We read in Genesis 1:21 that God made them on the fifth day of creation: “And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly.” The word translated as whales could also refer to other large sea creatures, but it certainly includes these beautiful, amazing giants of the ocean.

4/8/2026

Life In The Womb
January 22, 1973 marks the disastrous turn in American law that granted women the so‑called right to kill their unborn babies. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that the unborn child is a human being who is known and loved by God as He knits it together in the womb. Science knows that even when it is a single fertilized cell, the unborn child is uniquely human. Now science is learning the truth of what the Bible has told us all along about the individual human nature of the unborn child. Research is confirming that even before birth children in the womb are learning about the world. The child in the womb does much more than simply hear sounds, including its mother’s voice. The child also becomes familiar with odors in the outside environment. To test what newborns were thinking, scientists very cleverly hooked up a pacifier to a tape recorder. They then rewarded a particular sucking pattern with various sounds such as mother’s voice. They found that the infants would concentrate on a pattern that would produce their mother’s voice. In another test, women’s voices, and even their father’s voices, were not favored over mother’s heartbeat – a familiar sound in the womb. Even science is beginning to agree that life in the womb is nothing less than a normal stage of human existence. Like every other stage of life, life in the womb includes learning new things and developing relationships. If only this knowledge was applied to the abortion debate.

Life In The Womb

January 22, 1973 marks the disastrous turn in American law that granted women the so‑called right to kill their unborn babies. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that the unborn child is a human being who is known and loved by God as He knits it together in the womb. Science knows that even when it is a single fertilized cell, the unborn child is uniquely human. Now science is learning the truth of what the Bible has told us all along about the individual human nature of the unborn child.

Research is confirming that even before birth children in the womb are learning about the world. The child in the womb does much more than simply hear sounds, including its mother’s voice. The child also becomes familiar with odors in the outside environment.

To test what newborns were thinking, scientists very cleverly hooked up a pacifier to a tape recorder. They then rewarded a particular sucking pattern with various sounds such as mother’s voice. They found that the infants would concentrate on a pattern that would produce their mother’s voice. In another test, women’s voices, and even their father’s voices, were not favored over mother’s heartbeat – a familiar sound in the womb.

Even science is beginning to agree that life in the womb is nothing less than a normal stage of human existence. Like every other stage of life, life in the womb includes learning new things and developing relationships. If only this knowledge was applied to the abortion debate.

4/7/2026

Love
Love is one of the necessities of life that is both physical and spiritual. While it doesn’t fit with a strictly materialistic view of life, love and touch, or lack of love and touch, can determine our health and sometimes even life and death. The claim that love and touch are necessary to life and health was considered so outrageous that it wasn’t until relatively recently that scientists began to test such claims. Researchers selected 40 hospitalized infants. These infants were not in intensive care, on oxygen, or intravenous feedings, but they were too tiny to leave the hospital. Researchers randomly selected half the group for attention. These infants were touched for three 15-minute periods a day. The first five minutes were spent stroking the infants’ bodies. The next five minutes were spend lightly moving the infants’ arms and legs. This was followed by five more minutes of stroking. Even though the infants often didn’t seem to notice the attention, it made a difference. After only 10 weekdays of this attention, the stroked infants had gained 47% more weight than the infants that were ignored. This is especially amazing considering the infants that gained less weight had been fed the same number of calories. The stroked infants were also more active, so they should have actually metabolized more of the calories and lost weight rather than increasing in weight.

Love

Love is one of the necessities of life that is both physical and spiritual. While it doesn’t fit with a strictly materialistic view of life, love and touch, or lack of love and touch, can determine our health and sometimes even life and death.

The claim that love and touch are necessary to life and health was considered so outrageous that it wasn’t until relatively recently that scientists began to test such claims. Researchers selected 40 hospitalized infants. These infants were not in intensive care, on oxygen, or intravenous feedings, but they were too tiny to leave the hospital. Researchers randomly selected half the group for attention. These infants were touched for three 15-minute periods a day. The first five minutes were spent stroking the infants’ bodies. The next five minutes were spend lightly moving the infants’ arms and legs. This was followed by five more minutes of stroking.

Even though the infants often didn’t seem to notice the attention, it made a difference. After only 10 weekdays of this attention, the stroked infants had gained 47% more weight than the infants that were ignored. This is especially amazing considering the infants that gained less weight had been fed the same number of calories. The stroked infants were also more active, so they should have actually metabolized more of the calories and lost weight rather than increasing in weight.

4/6/2026

The Nobel Peace Prize
“The Merchant of Death is Dead!” That was the headline for an obituary that may have caused Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, to make a course correction in his life. But the newspaper made a mistake—Alfred was very much alive. It was his brother Ludvig who had died. When Alfred realized he’d be remembered for a dangerous invention that claimed many lives, he decided to donate most of his significant wealth to establishing an award for those who had benefited humanity. It became known as the Nobel Prize.

The Nobel Peace Prize

“The Merchant of Death is Dead!” That was the headline for an obituary that may have caused Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, to make a course correction in his life. But the newspaper made a mistake—Alfred was very much alive. It was his brother Ludvig who had died. When Alfred realized he’d be remembered for a dangerous invention that claimed many lives, he decided to donate most of his significant wealth to establishing an award for those who had benefited humanity. It became known as the Nobel Prize.

4/5/2026

The Stone
The stone sealing Jesus’ tomb is estimated to have weighed between 1.5 and 2 tons—roughly 3,000 to 4,000+ pounds. It was a massive limestone disc, often compared to the weight of a car, designed to fit into a groove and requiring multiple people or heavy leverage to move. Key Details About the Stone include: Dimensions: Archaeological records for such rolling stones indicate a diameter of about 4.5 feet and a thickness of roughly 1 foot. Weight Constraints: Estimates suggest a minimum weight of at least 2,750 lbs. Placement: The stone was typically rolled down into a groove, making it extremely difficult to roll back up without assistance. The massive size of the stone is frequently highlighted to emphasize the supernatural nature of its removal in the Gospel accounts.

The Stone

The stone sealing Jesus’ tomb is estimated to have weighed between 1.5 and 2 tons—roughly 3,000 to 4,000+ pounds. It was a massive limestone disc, often compared to the weight of a car, designed to fit into a groove and requiring multiple people or heavy leverage to move.

Key Details About the Stone include:

Dimensions: Archaeological records for such rolling stones indicate a diameter of about 4.5 feet and a thickness of roughly 1 foot.

Weight Constraints: Estimates suggest a minimum weight of at least 2,750 lbs.

Placement: The stone was typically rolled down into a groove, making it extremely difficult to roll back up without assistance. The massive size of the stone is frequently highlighted to emphasize the supernatural nature of its removal in the Gospel accounts.

4/4/2026

The Cross
Things You Should Know about the Cross: The cross is a Trinitarian event. The Christian faith is distinctively Trinitarian and cross-shaped. Therefore, the cross must reveal the Trinity. God the Father sent the Son to save the world, the Son submitted to the Father’s will, and the Spirit applies the work of redemption to Jesus followers. Redemption is predestined by the Father (Eph 1:3–6), accomplished by the Son (Eph 1:7–10), and applied by the Spirit (Eph. 1:13–14). God did not withhold the Son, and the Son surrendered to the Father. Yet the Father is not sacrificing the Son. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit all possess a single will. The sacrifice, while uniquely the Son’s work, is also the will of the three persons. The cross is the center of the story of the Scripture. A Bible without a cross is a Bible without a climax, a Bible without an ending, a Bible without a solution. The spiral of sin that began in Genesis 3 must be stopped; the death of Jesus terminates the downward spiral. In Jesus’s body, he took on the sin of the world and paid the price of all humanity. At the cross the new Adam, Abraham, Moses, David arises to create a new humanity, family, and kingdom. That is why Paul doesn’t say he decided to knowing nothing except the incarnation, resurrection, or the ascension of Jesus, but the nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). Wisdom was found not beyond the cross, not above the cross, not below the cross, but in the cross. The cross redefines power in the kingdom. Jesus’s announcement that the kingdom of God has come is conclusively revealed in the Christ-event on the cross. The Scriptures narrate how God will manifest his kingship on the earth. He gives Adam and Eve the task of ruling and reigning over the earth as his representatives, but they attempt to seize power for themselves (Gen. 3:5). In fact, all of their children do the same. Babel (or Babylon) is the city opposed to the reign of God. Jesus comes as the true Son and redefines power by displaying strength through weakness. He does not exploit his power like Adam, but empties himself (Phil. 2:5–6). He becomes a servant of all, and thereby is exalted as ruler of all (Phil. 2:9–11). The cross inaugurates the new covenant. At the Last Supper Jesus interprets his death as bringing in the new covenant. It is by his body and blood that his new community is formed. Just as the people of Israel were sprinkled with blood as they entered a covenant with Yahweh, so the disciples are members of the new community by the pouring out of Jesus’s blood. The new covenant community now has the Torah written on their hearts and they all know the Lord because of the gift of the Spirit (Jer. 31:33–34). The cross is not only where our sin is paid for, where the devil is conquered, but the shape of Christianity. The cross conquers sin and death. The cross cancels the record of debt that stood against humanity (Col 2:14). On the cross Jesus bore our sins in his body, so that we might die to sin and death (1 Pet. 2:24). The curse of sin and death was placed on Jesus so that we might obtain the blessings of Abraham (Gal 3:13). Understanding the cross and resurrection as a single event is important here, for it is through the death and resurrection of Christ that death is swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. 15:54–55). The cross vanquishes the devil. On the cross, Christ did not only conquer sin and death, but he conquered the spiritual forces of darkness. A cosmic eruption occurred at Golgotha; a new apocalyptic force entered the world and the old magic was conquered by a deeper magic. He disarmed the power and authorities, putting them to open shame, and triumphs over them on the cross (Col. 2:14). When Christ rises from the dead he is seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power (Eph. 2:20–21). The cross is substitutionary. The cross is for us, in our place, on our behalf. He laid down his life for His sheep. He is our sacrificial lamb. “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Just as Abraham raised his eyes and looked and saw a ram to offer as a burnt offering in the place of his son (Gen 22:13), so too we look up and see Jesus as our replacement. He became a curse for us (Gal 3:13), meaning he takes the place of all the enslaved, the rebels, the idolaters, and the murderers. If the conquering of the spiritual forces is the goal, then substitution is the ground or basis for this conquering (Gal. 1:4). “The cross represents not only the great exchange (substitutionary atonement), but also the great transition (the eschatological turn of the ages).” The cross is foolishness to the world. In a PBS television series the narrator said, “Christianity is the only major religion to have as its central focus the suffering and degradation of its God.” And Paul acknowledges that this message of Christ crucified will be a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles (1 Cor 1:23). It is not an inherently attractive message, until spiritual eyes of sight are granted. The world looks at the cross and sees weakness, irrationality, hate, and disgust. In the early decades of the Christian movement the scandal of the cross was most self-evident thing about it. It was not only the death of the Messiah, but the manner of his death that is an offense. The cross brings peace, reconciliation, and unity. At the cross the whole world has the opportunity to be reconciled to the Father. The peace that the world has been seeking, the unity of all people is found in blood. “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph. 2:14). Reconciliation for the world, peace, shalom, and unity comes only by the blood of the cross (Col 1:20). No blood means no harmony. The cross is the marching order for Christians. After Jesus explained to his disciples that he must suffer, he tells them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24). Paul embodies the cross in his ministry, becoming the fragrance of death as he is lead on the triumphal procession (2 Cor. 2:14–17), and he evens says he has been crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20). But Paul does not merely apply the cross to his own ministry, but he instructs the new community at Philippi to have the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5) which is defined by Jesus’s humility on the cross (Phil. 2:8). The cross is not only where our sin is paid for, where the devil is conquered, but the shape of Christianity. As Rutledge has said, “the crucifixion is the touchstone of Christian authenticity, the unique feature by which everything else. . . is given true significance.”

The Cross

Things You Should Know about the Cross:

The cross is a Trinitarian event.
The Christian faith is distinctively Trinitarian and cross-shaped. Therefore, the cross must reveal the Trinity. God the Father sent the Son to save the world, the Son submitted to the Father’s will, and the Spirit applies the work of redemption to Jesus followers. Redemption is predestined by the Father (Eph 1:3–6), accomplished by the Son (Eph 1:7–10), and applied by the Spirit (Eph. 1:13–14). God did not withhold the Son, and the Son surrendered to the Father. Yet the Father is not sacrificing the Son. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit all possess a single will. The sacrifice, while uniquely the Son’s work, is also the will of the three persons.

The cross is the center of the story of the Scripture.
A Bible without a cross is a Bible without a climax, a Bible without an ending, a Bible without a solution. The spiral of sin that began in Genesis 3 must be stopped; the death of Jesus terminates the downward spiral. In Jesus’s body, he took on the sin of the world and paid the price of all humanity. At the cross the new Adam, Abraham, Moses, David arises to create a new humanity, family, and kingdom. That is why Paul doesn’t say he decided to knowing nothing except the incarnation, resurrection, or the ascension of Jesus, but the nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). Wisdom was found not beyond the cross, not above the cross, not below the cross, but in the cross.

The cross redefines power in the kingdom.
Jesus’s announcement that the kingdom of God has come is conclusively revealed in the Christ-event on the cross. The Scriptures narrate how God will manifest his kingship on the earth. He gives Adam and Eve the task of ruling and reigning over the earth as his representatives, but they attempt to seize power for themselves (Gen. 3:5). In fact, all of their children do the same. Babel (or Babylon) is the city opposed to the reign of God. Jesus comes as the true Son and redefines power by displaying strength through weakness. He does not exploit his power like Adam, but empties himself (Phil. 2:5–6). He becomes a servant of all, and thereby is exalted as ruler of all (Phil. 2:9–11).

The cross inaugurates the new covenant.
At the Last Supper Jesus interprets his death as bringing in the new covenant. It is by his body and blood that his new community is formed. Just as the people of Israel were sprinkled with blood as they entered a covenant with Yahweh, so the disciples are members of the new community by the pouring out of Jesus’s blood. The new covenant community now has the Torah written on their hearts and they all know the Lord because of the gift of the Spirit (Jer. 31:33–34).

The cross is not only where our sin is paid for, where the devil is conquered, but the shape of Christianity.

The cross conquers sin and death.
The cross cancels the record of debt that stood against humanity (Col 2:14). On the cross Jesus bore our sins in his body, so that we might die to sin and death (1 Pet. 2:24). The curse of sin and death was placed on Jesus so that we might obtain the blessings of Abraham (Gal 3:13). Understanding the cross and resurrection as a single event is important here, for it is through the death and resurrection of Christ that death is swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. 15:54–55).

The cross vanquishes the devil.
On the cross, Christ did not only conquer sin and death, but he conquered the spiritual forces of darkness. A cosmic eruption occurred at Golgotha; a new apocalyptic force entered the world and the old magic was conquered by a deeper magic. He disarmed the power and authorities, putting them to open shame, and triumphs over them on the cross (Col. 2:14). When Christ rises from the dead he is seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power (Eph. 2:20–21).

The cross is substitutionary.
The cross is for us, in our place, on our behalf. He laid down his life for His sheep. He is our sacrificial lamb. “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Just as Abraham raised his eyes and looked and saw a ram to offer as a burnt offering in the place of his son (Gen 22:13), so too we look up and see Jesus as our replacement. He became a curse for us (Gal 3:13), meaning he takes the place of all the enslaved, the rebels, the idolaters, and the murderers. If the conquering of the spiritual forces is the goal, then substitution is the ground or basis for this conquering (Gal. 1:4). “The cross represents not only the great exchange (substitutionary atonement), but also the great transition (the eschatological turn of the ages).”

The cross is foolishness to the world.
In a PBS television series the narrator said, “Christianity is the only major religion to have as its central focus the suffering and degradation of its God.” And Paul acknowledges that this message of Christ crucified will be a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles (1 Cor 1:23). It is not an inherently attractive message, until spiritual eyes of sight are granted. The world looks at the cross and sees weakness, irrationality, hate, and disgust. In the early decades of the Christian movement the scandal of the cross was most self-evident thing about it. It was not only the death of the Messiah, but the manner of his death that is an offense.

The cross brings peace, reconciliation, and unity.
At the cross the whole world has the opportunity to be reconciled to the Father. The peace that the world has been seeking, the unity of all people is found in blood. “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph. 2:14). Reconciliation for the world, peace, shalom, and unity comes only by the blood of the cross (Col 1:20). No blood means no harmony.

The cross is the marching order for Christians.
After Jesus explained to his disciples that he must suffer, he tells them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24). Paul embodies the cross in his ministry, becoming the fragrance of death as he is lead on the triumphal procession (2 Cor. 2:14–17), and he evens says he has been crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20). But Paul does not merely apply the cross to his own ministry, but he instructs the new community at Philippi to have the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5) which is defined by Jesus’s humility on the cross (Phil. 2:8). The cross is not only where our sin is paid for, where the devil is conquered, but the shape of Christianity. As Rutledge has said, “the crucifixion is the touchstone of Christian authenticity, the unique feature by which everything else. . . is given true significance.”

4/3/2026

The Nose
How many different scents do you think your nose is able to smell? The answer is about 10,000. How does your nose tell the difference between a rose and a skunk? Until only recently, scientists really weren’t sure. Now we know that humans and mammals detect smells by using at least 1,000 different genes. These genes are located in every cell in your body, but they are active only in your nose. This discovery, say scientists, gives them their first insight into how smell works. Before this, said one scientist, “We had almost no knowledge of the olfactory system and this really opens up the molecular study of smell in a very fascinating way.” They say that each of the different genes seems designed to respond to a small group of odors. As each group of genes does its part, the entire system is able to recognize everything we can smell. These genes pass signals from the nerve cells in the nose to a small region of the brain called the olfactory bulb. Now that smell genes are identified, researchers say they can begin to understand how odors are detected and how the brain interprets those signals. Our sense of smell relies on a very elegant and sophisticated system. Imagine, 1,000 genes lie at the heart of that system. Each one of those genes is information—a programmed code that is designed to make sense of what we smell. Information, programming and decoding are all terms that assume that we have a highly intelligent Creator who designed our sense of smell!

The Nose

How many different scents do you think your nose is able to smell? The answer is about 10,000. How does your nose tell the difference between a rose and a skunk? Until only recently, scientists really weren’t sure.

Now we know that humans and mammals detect smells by using at least 1,000 different genes. These genes are located in every cell in your body, but they are active only in your nose. This discovery, say scientists, gives them their first insight into how smell works. Before this, said one scientist, “We had almost no knowledge of the olfactory system and this really opens up the molecular study of smell in a very fascinating way.”

They say that each of the different genes seems designed to respond to a small group of odors. As each group of genes does its part, the entire system is able to recognize everything we can smell. These genes pass signals from the nerve cells in the nose to a small region of the brain called the olfactory bulb. Now that smell genes are identified, researchers say they can begin to understand how odors are detected and how the brain interprets those signals.

Our sense of smell relies on a very elegant and sophisticated system. Imagine, 1,000 genes lie at the heart of that system. Each one of those genes is information—a programmed code that is designed to make sense of what we smell. Information, programming and decoding are all terms that assume that we have a highly intelligent Creator who designed our sense of smell!

4/2/2026

The Narrow Gate
Did you know just how narrow the narrow gate was? The narrow gate, also called the narrow door, is referred to by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14 and Luke 13:23-24. Jesus compares the narrow gate to the “broad road” which leads to destruction (hell) and says that “many” will be on that road. By contrast, Jesus says that “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” What exactly is meant by this? Just how many are the “many” and how few are the “few”? First, we need to understand that Jesus is the Door through which all must enter eternal life. There is no other way because He alone is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). The way to eternal life is restricted to just one avenue—Christ. In this sense, the way is narrow because it is the only way, and relatively few people will go through the narrow gate. Many more will attempt to find an alternative route to God. They will try to get there through manmade rules and regulations, through false religion, or through self-effort. These who are “many” will follow the broad road that leads to eternal destruction, while the sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him along the narrow way to eternal life (John 10:7-11). While there will be relatively few who go through the narrow gate compared to the many on the broad road, there will still be multitudes who will follow the Good Shepherd. The apostle John saw this multitude in his vision in the book of Revelation: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10). Entering the narrow gate is not easy. Jesus made this clear when He instructed His followers to “strive” to do so. The Greek word translated “strive” is agonizomai, from which we get the English word agonize. The implication here is that those who seek to enter the narrow gate must do so by struggle and strain, like a running athlete straining toward the finish line, all muscles taut and giving his all in the effort. But we must be clear here. No amount of effort saves us; salvation is by the grace of God through the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). No one will ever earn heaven by striving for it. But entering the narrow gate is still difficult because of the opposition of human pride, our natural love of sin, and the opposition of Satan and the world in his control, all of which battle against us in the pursuit of eternity. The exhortation to strive to enter is a command to repent and enter the gate and not to just stand and look at it, think about it, complain that it’s too small or too difficult or unjustly narrow. We are not to ask why others are not entering; we are not to make excuses or delay. We are not to be concerned with the number who will or will not enter. We are to strive forward and enter! Then we are to exhort others to strive to enter before it’s too late.

The Narrow Gate

Did you know just how narrow the narrow gate was?

The narrow gate, also called the narrow door, is referred to by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14 and Luke 13:23-24. Jesus compares the narrow gate to the “broad road” which leads to destruction (hell) and says that “many” will be on that road. By contrast, Jesus says that “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” What exactly is meant by this? Just how many are the “many” and how few are the “few”?

First, we need to understand that Jesus is the Door through which all must enter eternal life. There is no other way because He alone is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). The way to eternal life is restricted to just one avenue—Christ. In this sense, the way is narrow because it is the only way, and relatively few people will go through the narrow gate. Many more will attempt to find an alternative route to God. They will try to get there through manmade rules and regulations, through false religion, or through self-effort. These who are “many” will follow the broad road that leads to eternal destruction, while the sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him along the narrow way to eternal life (John 10:7-11).

While there will be relatively few who go through the narrow gate compared to the many on the broad road, there will still be multitudes who will follow the Good Shepherd. The apostle John saw this multitude in his vision in the book of Revelation: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10).

Entering the narrow gate is not easy. Jesus made this clear when He instructed His followers to “strive” to do so. The Greek word translated “strive” is agonizomai, from which we get the English word agonize. The implication here is that those who seek to enter the narrow gate must do so by struggle and strain, like a running athlete straining toward the finish line, all muscles taut and giving his all in the effort. But we must be clear here. No amount of effort saves us; salvation is by the grace of God through the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). No one will ever earn heaven by striving for it. But entering the narrow gate is still difficult because of the opposition of human pride, our natural love of sin, and the opposition of Satan and the world in his control, all of which battle against us in the pursuit of eternity.

The exhortation to strive to enter is a command to repent and enter the gate and not to just stand and look at it, think about it, complain that it’s too small or too difficult or unjustly narrow. We are not to ask why others are not entering; we are not to make excuses or delay. We are not to be concerned with the number who will or will not enter. We are to strive forward and enter! Then we are to exhort others to strive to enter before it’s too late.

4/1/2026

Bats
Could the giant flying fox be a primate? In the 18th century, scientists weren’t quite sure what to do with bats. Some wanted to classify them as primates, while others thought they should have their own category. Since 1780, all 950 known species of bats have been classified in their own category. The bat order is divided into microbats and megabats. Microbats have an average wingspan of less than a foot. Megabats are larger. The giant flying fox has a wingspan of six feet! The evolutionary link between microbats and megabats is dissolving as scientists learn more about them. Although megabats and microbats are very clearly bats, they are constructed in importantly different ways. Microbats rely mainly on echolocation to navigate. Megabats have very large eyes, so that they can see like owls in low light. The nerves that connect the eyes of microbats to the brain cross. As a result, the image from the right eye goes to the left brain, and the left eye feeds its image to the right brain. However, megabats are wired with both eyes feeding into both sides of the brain. This arrangement is otherwise unique to primates! If bats evolved, these new findings mean that bats must have evolved at least twice! It also means that some bats evolved from monkey-like creatures! It makes far more sense to admire God’s unlimited creativity. We can logically reason that God gave His larger bats eyesight like that of a monkey, because their needs are similar.

Bats

Could the giant flying fox be a primate?

In the 18th century, scientists weren’t quite sure what to do with bats. Some wanted to classify them as primates, while others thought they should have their own category. Since 1780, all 950 known species of bats have been classified in their own category. The bat order is divided into microbats and megabats. Microbats have an average wingspan of less than a foot. Megabats are larger. The giant flying fox has a wingspan of six feet!

The evolutionary link between microbats and megabats is dissolving as scientists learn more about them. Although megabats and microbats are very clearly bats, they are constructed in importantly different ways. Microbats rely mainly on echolocation to navigate. Megabats have very large eyes, so that they can see like owls in low light. The nerves that connect the eyes of microbats to the brain cross. As a result, the image from the right eye goes to the left brain, and the left eye feeds its image to the right brain. However, megabats are wired with both eyes feeding into both sides of the brain. This arrangement is otherwise unique to primates!

If bats evolved, these new findings mean that bats must have evolved at least twice! It also means that some bats evolved from monkey-like creatures!

It makes far more sense to admire God’s unlimited creativity. We can logically reason that God gave His larger bats eyesight like that of a monkey, because their needs are similar.

3/31/2026

Manna
When the Israelites fled Egypt, after over four hundred years of slavery, they spent forty years wandering in the wilderness before they entered the Promised Land. During this time, God provided substance for them to eat every day in the form of quail (meat) and manna (Exodus 16). Manna, basically a word that means “what is it?” is a bread-like substance that fell from heaven (Psalm 78:24), and that tasted like honey. The Israelites would go and collect a daily portion of manna each day, ensuring to get a double portion before the Sabbath (so they didn’t work for their food on the Sabbath). If they grabbed too much or too little, they suffered the consequences (Exodus 16:20). An exercise in trusting God’s provisions, the Israelites ate this bread of heaven throughout their several-decade stay in the wilderness. Where Is Manna Mentioned in the Bible? We see manna first introduced in Exodus 16. Right before this, the Israelites complained to Moses, saying he brought them out to the desert to die, with no food substance. While they grumble and say their days in slavery in Egypt were better, God provides food and doesn’t let them go hungry. Numbers 11:8 describes what the Israelites did with this bread from heaven. They made it into cakes, boiled it, and ground it into flour. Deuteronomy 8:3, which Jesus later quotes when tempted by Satan, mentions these provisions from God – although it also mentions that man does not live by bread alone. Even if we fulfill our physical needs, we have spiritual needs as well. John 6:38 makes mention of manna as well. It says that even though manna filled the physical needs of the Israelites, it didn’t prevent death. On the other hand, the bread of life (Jesus) prevents spiritual death. Psalm 78:23-25 calls manna “the bread of angels,” since this manna appeared to fall from the sky like snow. Another psalm, Psalm 105:40, talks about how God cared for the needs of the Israelites in the wilderness. Apart from Jesus quoting the Deuteronomy passage and the John passage above mentioning manna, we don’t see the term pop up in the New Testament. However, Jesus does make an emphasis of bread throughout his ministry. He primarily refers to himself as the bread of life (John 6:35), and explains that we need the true bread from heaven for our spiritual survival. Jesus also breaks bread during the last supper to show his body would be broken for us (1 Corinthians 11:24). What Is Manna Made Of? And Do We Have Anything Similar? Because of its name “what is it?” we don’t exactly know the contents of manna. We do know it was sweet and looked like small white coriander seeds. Some have conjectured it was made from a sweet beetle cocoon that grows on green leaves in desert plants. However, we do have to keep in mind that not all scientific explanations fully fit the narratives found in the Old and New Testaments. For instance, scientists try to form natural explanations for the Ten Plagues in Egypt, which appear to be clearly supernatural phenomena. Also, in this narrative, God stops the manna in Joshua 5:12 as soon as they eat the food in the Promised Land. Either all those poor beetles died out in one day, or we need an alternate explanation. In either case, we do technically have something similar (listed in the article above), but if this is truly manna, we may never know. Where Did the Manna Come From? In the Bible we have two types of manna, and both come from God and heaven alone. We’ll discuss both in this section. We have the physical manna: the edible manna the Israelites ate in the desert. As mentioned in this article, we don’t know the physical or chemical composition of manna. We can hazard scientific explanations, but sometimes the way Old Testament authors used images may be different than how we would describe items from heaven. For instance, if we observe the passage from Ezekiel describing angels, we may have no way to wrap our mind around all those eyes and wheels (Ezekiel 1:16). Then we have the second type of manna: the bread of life, Jesus. Jesus comes to us in the wilderness (the space between here and heaven) and provides for us the true substance we need. We need him, the bread of life, to spiritually survive. We can try to describe Jesus, but Jesus is far more complex than a human explanation. Just like manna, we come up short, and end up with, “What is it?” Both types of manna come from heaven. God provides the manna we need. Why Did God Send Manna to the Israelites? God sent manna for a few reasons during the Israelites’ time in the desert. First, and most practically, he wanted to meet a physical need. They didn’t have many options of food in the wilderness, and they’d begun to think that God had led them into a death trap. God provides food for them to show he meets our needs, even when situations seem most dire. Secondly, God wants the Israelites to practice trust and obedience. Some Israelites take too much manna on some days, and it rots in their tents, full of maggots. Other Israelites don’t obey God’s command to collect double portions before the Sabbath, and they end up hungry on the Sabbath, because manna didn’t fall that day. God provided manna as a way to rely on him fully. If he provided manna, and the Israelites had a fresh grain supply nearby, they wouldn’t really care about God’s provisions. But they had few options in the wilderness, so they had to exercise trust that God would provide the next day, the same way he had the day before. Thirdly, God wanted to foreshadow the most important manna from heaven: Jesus. Although he provided for the physical needs of the Israelites, he knew they, along with all of mankind, needed a permanent, not temporary, solution to their need for spiritual bread. God provides by way of Jesus’ ministry on earth, and through his death and resurrection. Because of the bread of life, we no longer hunger. Because of the bread of life, we have a chance to live. What Does This Mean for Christians Today? As mentioned above, we need spiritual bread. Although God does provide for our physical needs, we need far more than physical bread alone. We need the bread of life to survive. Also, God may sometimes place us in a wilderness setting. Maybe we’ve relied too much on our own abilities or our own “bread” in a metaphorical sense, that we’ve forgotten from whom all good gifts come. During such times, we need to exercise trust and obedience. Maybe God has placed us in a financially unstable situation, and we’ll still trust to tithe (knowing he’ll provide), for instance. No matter what the case, we are always in a wilderness, until we reach heaven. Whether we are in dire need of bread or have provisions, we haven’t reached the Promised Land yet. During this in-between, here-not-yet period, we have to trust in the Lord and obey him. We need to trust in the bread of life, the true manna, for our physical and spiritual well-being.

Manna

When the Israelites fled Egypt, after over four hundred years of slavery, they spent forty years wandering in the wilderness before they entered the Promised Land. During this time, God provided substance for them to eat every day in the form of quail (meat) and manna (Exodus 16).

Manna, basically a word that means “what is it?” is a bread-like substance that fell from heaven (Psalm 78:24), and that tasted like honey.

The Israelites would go and collect a daily portion of manna each day, ensuring to get a double portion before the Sabbath (so they didn’t work for their food on the Sabbath). If they grabbed too much or too little, they suffered the consequences (Exodus 16:20).

An exercise in trusting God’s provisions, the Israelites ate this bread of heaven throughout their several-decade stay in the wilderness.

Where Is Manna Mentioned in the Bible?

We see manna first introduced in Exodus 16. Right before this, the Israelites complained to Moses, saying he brought them out to the desert to die, with no food substance.

While they grumble and say their days in slavery in Egypt were better, God provides food and doesn’t let them go hungry.

Numbers 11:8 describes what the Israelites did with this bread from heaven. They made it into cakes, boiled it, and ground it into flour.

Deuteronomy 8:3, which Jesus later quotes when tempted by Satan, mentions these provisions from God – although it also mentions that man does not live by bread alone. Even if we fulfill our physical needs, we have spiritual needs as well. John 6:38 makes mention of manna as well. It says that even though manna filled the physical needs of the Israelites, it didn’t prevent death.

On the other hand, the bread of life (Jesus) prevents spiritual death.

Psalm 78:23-25 calls manna “the bread of angels,” since this manna appeared to fall from the sky like snow. Another psalm, Psalm 105:40, talks about how God cared for the needs of the Israelites in the wilderness.

Apart from Jesus quoting the Deuteronomy passage and the John passage above mentioning manna, we don’t see the term pop up in the New Testament. However, Jesus does make an emphasis of bread throughout his ministry.

He primarily refers to himself as the bread of life (John 6:35), and explains that we need the true bread from heaven for our spiritual survival.

Jesus also breaks bread during the last supper to show his body would be broken for us (1 Corinthians 11:24).

What Is Manna Made Of? And Do We Have Anything Similar?

Because of its name “what is it?” we don’t exactly know the contents of manna. We do know it was sweet and looked like small white coriander seeds.

Some have conjectured it was made from a sweet beetle cocoon that grows on green leaves in desert plants.

However, we do have to keep in mind that not all scientific explanations fully fit the narratives found in the Old and New Testaments. For instance, scientists try to form natural explanations for the Ten Plagues in Egypt, which appear to be clearly supernatural phenomena.

Also, in this narrative, God stops the manna in Joshua 5:12 as soon as they eat the food in the Promised Land. Either all those poor beetles died out in one day, or we need an alternate explanation.

In either case, we do technically have something similar (listed in the article above), but if this is truly manna, we may never know.

Where Did the Manna Come From?

In the Bible we have two types of manna, and both come from God and heaven alone. We’ll discuss both in this section.

We have the physical manna: the edible manna the Israelites ate in the desert. As mentioned in this article, we don’t know the physical or chemical composition of manna. We can hazard scientific explanations, but sometimes the way Old Testament authors used images may be different than how we would describe items from heaven.

For instance, if we observe the passage from Ezekiel describing angels, we may have no way to wrap our mind around all those eyes and wheels (Ezekiel 1:16).

Then we have the second type of manna: the bread of life, Jesus.

Jesus comes to us in the wilderness (the space between here and heaven) and provides for us the true substance we need. We need him, the bread of life, to spiritually survive.

We can try to describe Jesus, but Jesus is far more complex than a human explanation. Just like manna, we come up short, and end up with, “What is it?”

Both types of manna come from heaven. God provides the manna we need.

Why Did God Send Manna to the Israelites?

God sent manna for a few reasons during the Israelites’ time in the desert.

First, and most practically, he wanted to meet a physical need. They didn’t have many options of food in the wilderness, and they’d begun to think that God had led them into a death trap. God provides food for them to show he meets our needs, even when situations seem most dire.

Secondly, God wants the Israelites to practice trust and obedience.

Some Israelites take too much manna on some days, and it rots in their tents, full of maggots. Other Israelites don’t obey God’s command to collect double portions before the Sabbath, and they end up hungry on the Sabbath, because manna didn’t fall that day.

God provided manna as a way to rely on him fully. If he provided manna, and the Israelites had a fresh grain supply nearby, they wouldn’t really care about God’s provisions.

But they had few options in the wilderness, so they had to exercise trust that God would provide the next day, the same way he had the day before.

Thirdly, God wanted to foreshadow the most important manna from heaven: Jesus.

Although he provided for the physical needs of the Israelites, he knew they, along with all of mankind, needed a permanent, not temporary, solution to their need for spiritual bread.

God provides by way of Jesus’ ministry on earth, and through his death and resurrection.

Because of the bread of life, we no longer hunger. Because of the bread of life, we have a chance to live.

What Does This Mean for Christians Today?

As mentioned above, we need spiritual bread. Although God does provide for our physical needs, we need far more than physical bread alone. We need the bread of life to survive.

Also, God may sometimes place us in a wilderness setting. Maybe we’ve relied too much on our own abilities or our own “bread” in a metaphorical sense, that we’ve forgotten from whom all good gifts come.

During such times, we need to exercise trust and obedience. Maybe God has placed us in a financially unstable situation, and we’ll still trust to tithe (knowing he’ll provide), for instance.

No matter what the case, we are always in a wilderness, until we reach heaven. Whether we are in dire need of bread or have provisions, we haven’t reached the Promised Land yet.

During this in-between, here-not-yet period, we have to trust in the Lord and obey him.

We need to trust in the bread of life, the true manna, for our physical and spiritual well-being.

3/30/2026

Jesus Christ
No one can match the biography of Jesus Christ. He was born of a virgin and lived a sinless life. He shed His blood to purchase lost souls. He died on a cross and rose from the dead. He was so poor he said of Himself that He had nowhere to lay His head. His only pocketbook was the mouth of a fish. He rode on another man’s beast. He cruised the lake in another man’s boat. He was buried in another man’s grave. He never founded a college to perpetuate his doctrines; yet His teachings have endured for over 2,000 years, and all the words that have been written about Him would fill a thousand Congressional libraries. He never studied medicine, yet He healed the sick. And the world still rejected Him. Today even the calendar speaks of His death. Why isn’t the calendar dated from Mohammed’s flight, or from Buddha’s birth? Because Jesus is the only One who has ever died for mankind. But He did not remain dead; He was raised to life and the power of His resurrection changed the world forever! Life for many people has lost its purpose and meaning. People are bored and fed up; they have no zest for living. But if they’ll submit to Jesus Christ, He’ll make them new. He will redeem what has been lost and will revive those who have no hope. The power of Christ’s resurrection saves and redeems. Jesus is the only way to life everlasting (John 14:6).

Jesus Christ

No one can match the biography of Jesus Christ. He was born of a virgin and lived a sinless life. He shed His blood to purchase lost souls. He died on a cross and rose from the dead. He was so poor he said of Himself that He had nowhere to lay His head. His only pocketbook was the mouth of a fish. He rode on another man’s beast. He cruised the lake in another man’s boat. He was buried in another man’s grave.

He never founded a college to perpetuate his doctrines; yet His teachings have endured for over 2,000 years, and all the words that have been written about Him would fill a thousand Congressional libraries. He never studied medicine, yet He healed the sick. And the world still rejected Him.

Today even the calendar speaks of His death. Why isn’t the calendar dated from Mohammed’s flight, or from Buddha’s birth? Because Jesus is the only One who has ever died for mankind. But He did not remain dead; He was raised to life and the power of His resurrection changed the world forever! Life for many people has lost its purpose and meaning. People are bored and fed up; they have no zest for living. But if they’ll submit to Jesus Christ, He’ll make them new. He will redeem what has been lost and will revive those who have no hope. The power of Christ’s resurrection saves and redeems. Jesus is the only way to life everlasting (John 14:6).

3/29/2026

The Holy Bible
How amazing to consider that the Bible was compiled by 40 men writing in 3 languages on 3 continents over 1,500 years! Gather a group of people from just one generation, and you will have neither the consistency nor the unified philosophy and mission found in God’s Word. Each book of the Bible reflects its human author’s personality and background. For example, Moses was the political leader of the Israelites in the desert; Daniel rose to the rank of prime minister while a captive in Babylon; and Paul, the well-educated former Pharisee, wrote his letters from prison. Yet every word remained true to God’s central theme—that His love redeems those who call on His name.

The Holy Bible

How amazing to consider that the Bible was compiled by 40 men writing in 3 languages on 3 continents over 1,500 years! Gather a group of people from just one generation, and you will have neither the consistency nor the unified philosophy and mission found in God’s Word.

Each book of the Bible reflects its human author’s personality and background. For example, Moses was the political leader of the Israelites in the desert; Daniel rose to the rank of prime minister while a captive in Babylon; and Paul, the well-educated former Pharisee, wrote his letters from prison. Yet every word remained true to God’s central theme—that His love redeems those who call on His name.

3/28/2026

National Anthem
In March, 1931, Congress adopted “The Star-Spangled Banner” as our national anthem. Do you know what the fourth stanza says? “Blessed with victory and peace, may this Heaven-rescued land praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must when our cause it is just. And this be our motto, ‘In God is our trust.’” God blessed America because she was rooted in spiritual principles and truths. Praise God that the Christian and Judaic heritage was written into our very fabric. And pray for your nation according to 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people who are called by My name shall humble themselves and pray, seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land.” Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave? On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam, In full glory reflected now shines in the stream: ‘Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave! And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion, A home and a country should leave us no more! Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave! Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved home and the war’s desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.” And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

National Anthem

In March, 1931, Congress adopted “The Star-Spangled Banner” as our national anthem. Do you know what the fourth stanza says? “Blessed with victory and peace, may this Heaven-rescued land praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must when our cause it is just. And this be our motto, ‘In God is our trust.’”

God blessed America because she was rooted in spiritual principles and truths. Praise God that the Christian and Judaic heritage was written into our very fabric. And pray for your nation according to 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people who are called by My name shall humble themselves and pray, seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land.”

Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
‘Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

3/27/2026

Neanderthals
“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.” Psalm 8:4-5 Every month, there is almost always at least one article about Neanderthals. The month in which I am writing this script is no exception. One website carries information about a study of the extinction of the Neanderthals. Researchers at Aix Marseille Université in France suggest that Neanderthals became extinct from 4,000 to 10,000 years ago. The researchers built a computer model by looking at “observational data on modern hunter-gatherer groups and extant large apes”. In their analysis of these groups, researchers were concentrating on three factors: survival, migration and fertility rates. Their conclusions from these studies were that extinction was due to a decrease in fertility rates of between 2.7 and 8%. It should be noted that a number of assumptions have been made. First, we should see that the researchers have assumed that Neanderthals, being less evolved than modern humans, would have attributes in common with large apes. This is an assumption based on their worldview, not on factual data. There is no actual scientific data to show a common ancestry between apes and humans, and, biblically, this is, in any case, impossible. Even more disturbingly is the assumption that data on modern hunter-gatherer populations is to be taken alongside that of apes. This suggests the racist notion that there is a clear link between modern apes and remote modern tribes. We have emphasized many times that Neanderthals were, in fact, no different to modern humans, and the attempt to differentiate them is, itself, a form of chronological racism.

Neanderthals

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.”
Psalm 8:4-5

Every month, there is almost always at least one article about Neanderthals. The month in which I am writing this script is no exception. One website carries information about a study of the extinction of the Neanderthals.

Researchers at Aix Marseille Université in France suggest that Neanderthals became extinct from 4,000 to 10,000 years ago. The researchers built a computer model by looking at “observational data on modern hunter-gatherer groups and extant large apes”. In their analysis of these groups, researchers were concentrating on three factors: survival, migration and fertility rates. Their conclusions from these studies were that extinction was due to a decrease in fertility rates of between 2.7 and 8%.

It should be noted that a number of assumptions have been made. First, we should see that the researchers have assumed that Neanderthals, being less evolved than modern humans, would have attributes in common with large apes. This is an assumption based on their worldview, not on factual data. There is no actual scientific data to show a common ancestry between apes and humans, and, biblically, this is, in any case, impossible. Even more disturbingly is the assumption that data on modern hunter-gatherer populations is to be taken alongside that of apes. This suggests the racist notion that there is a clear link between modern apes and remote modern tribes.

We have emphasized many times that Neanderthals were, in fact, no different to modern humans, and the attempt to differentiate them is, itself, a form of chronological racism.

3/26/2026

Overnight Successes Do Not Exist
James Dyson is no overnight success. He’s worth about $5 billion now because of his vacuum cleaners, but did you know he went through 5,127 failed prototypes before his first model was successful? Theodor Geisel wanted to be a writer but his work was rejected 27 times by publishers. Some called his work “pure rubbish.” But he persevered and today you know him under his pen name “Dr. Seuss.”

Overnight Successes Do Not Exist

James Dyson is no overnight success. He’s worth about $5 billion now because of his vacuum cleaners, but did you know he went through 5,127 failed prototypes before his first model was successful?

Theodor Geisel wanted to be a writer but his work was rejected 27 times by publishers. Some called his work “pure rubbish.” But he persevered and today you know him under his pen name “Dr. Seuss.”

2/25/2026

Pastors Are Not Immune
When pastors or spiritual leaders of Christian organizations battle with moral failure or get divorced or struggle with their teenagers, we often are perplexed. Aren’t they supposed to be different? Don’t they have PhDs in “Godly Living?” Aren’t they immune to disappointments, depression or other mental illnesses? Of course, the answer to that question is a resounding “NO!” Our spiritual leaders are not immune to any of the above. They get frustrated, angry, hurt, depressed and lonely just like all the rest of us. Their insight into the scriptures, background in Christian living and experiences with the Lord are significant. They usually are mature in Christ. Mature, yes. Immune to failure and frustrations, NO! Studies over the last ten years have suggested facts like these: 1. 70% of pastors constantly fight depression 2. 77% of them do not believe they have good marriages 3. About 50 % of them will end up in divorce 4. 33% confess to having been involved in inappropriate sexual behavior 5. 70% of pastors do not have someone they consider a close friend 6. 90% report working between 55 to 75 hours a week. (No wonder compassion fatigue is rampant among our leaders.)

Pastors Are Not Immune

When pastors or spiritual leaders of Christian organizations battle with moral failure or get divorced or struggle with their teenagers, we often are perplexed. Aren’t they supposed to be different? Don’t they have PhDs in “Godly Living?” Aren’t they immune to disappointments, depression or other mental illnesses?

Of course, the answer to that question is a resounding “NO!” Our spiritual leaders are not immune to any of the above. They get frustrated, angry, hurt, depressed and lonely just like all the rest of us. Their insight into the scriptures, background in Christian living and experiences with the Lord are significant. They usually are mature in Christ.

Mature, yes. Immune to failure and frustrations, NO!

Studies over the last ten years have suggested facts like these:

1. 70% of pastors constantly fight depression
2. 77% of them do not believe they have good marriages
3. About 50 % of them will end up in divorce
4. 33% confess to having been involved in inappropriate sexual behavior
5. 70% of pastors do not have someone they consider a close friend
6. 90% report working between 55 to 75 hours a week. (No wonder compassion fatigue is rampant among our leaders.)

3/24/2026

Pyramids

While most people know that several ancient cultures built pyramids, which culture built the most? Most people would answer “Egypt”, but they would be wrong. However, they did inspire the culture that built the most pyramids.

At its height, the Egyptian empire included many cultures, reaching into the Near East as well as into Africa. Nubia, just to the south of Egypt, was a proud member of the Egyptian empire and adopted many Egyptian customs. Sometimes referred to as Ethiopians in some Bible translations, they became so much a part of the Egyptian empire that they even provided troops to the Egyptian army, according to the Bible. Nubia is also called “Cush” in the Bible. Among the Egyptian customs they adopted was burying their kings in pyramids. After mummification, dead royalty were placed in their tombs, which were decorated and filled with supplies thought to be needed in the next life. The base of these pyramids also included a chapel for those who wished to continue to worship the dead king. While none of their pyramids was as large as the great Egyptian pyramids, over the centuries they built 223 pyramids, far more than are found in Egypt!

The Bible’s mention of these people serving in the Egyptian army rings true to history. The Nubians were proud members of the Egyptian empire and continued to enjoy an alliance with Egypt long after the empire faded.

3/23/2026

The Veil Of The Tabernacle

This was no ordinary curtain. God gave specific design instructions to Moses. Bible scholars say the veil was 50 feet wide and 30 feet high, made of fine linen with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. It was so heavy that it took 300 priests (150 to the right and 150 to the left) to pull it back for the high priest to enter through the middle. To raise and lower it, 150 oxen were used to pull it into place. It was comprised of 200 embroidered squares that, when put together, displayed beautiful gold cherubim.

3/22/2026

A Drop Of Blood

Every time your heart beats, billions of red blood cells are forced through microscopic vessels smaller than the cells themselves. A human red blood cell is about eight micrometers wide, yet many capillaries are only three to five micrometers across. To survive this, the cells must flatten, stretch, twist, and then instantly return to their original shape without breaking, leaking, or blocking blood flow. If they were even slightly too stiff, you would suffer fatal clots. If they were too soft, they would rupture. Life depends on this working perfectly every second.

God designed red blood cells with a layered membrane reinforced by a protein lattice called spectrin. This microscopic framework acts like a spring loaded shock absorber. As the cell squeezes through a tight capillary, the lattice stretches and redistributes stress across the entire surface, then snaps the cell back into shape once it exits. At the same time, fluid lipid layers in the membrane allow the structure to slide and flex without tearing. This is called viscoelastic deformation, meaning the cell behaves like both a solid and a liquid, exactly what is required for constant compression and recovery.

This is not luck. This is mechanical engineering on a microscopic scale. It uses the same principles found in aerospace materials and impact resistant polymers, yet it exists inside living tissue. There is no room for trial and error here. A half working system means death. The design had to function fully from the beginning. Psalm 139 says we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and the physics inside a single drop of blood proves it. Every heartbeat is a living testimony to the wisdom and power of the Creator.

3/21/2026

Rebirth Of Israel

One of the most significant prophecies to be fulfilled in these last days is the birth of the nation of Israel in 1948. The questions that Isaiah asked centuries before were answered in the affirmative on that fateful day.

Pastor John Hagee, an eight-year-old boy living in East Texas, remembers sitting at the table, listening to the radio when a newscaster announced that the United Nations had decided to recognize the sovereign state of Israel. The news was met with jubilation! Across America, Jews gathered in synagogues to give thanks.

For over 2000 years, Israel only existed as a promise held fast by Jews around the world. In 1948, they streamed back to the Promised Land from the nations where they had suffered unspeakable persecution.

President Harry Truman faced intense opposition in recognizing Israel as a state, resisted by several powerful leaders in American politics. However, he remembered the Baptist teachings of his youth and the Bible passages that referred to Israel as God’s chosen people. He believed that they were entitled to that land.

The nation of Israel triumphantly emerged as a huge prophecy fulfilled – one more domino set in the intricate last-days plan. Though many generations had passed, God remembered His covenant with Abraham and Isaac.

3/20/2026

The Gap Theory

One of the most frequently asked questions is whether there is a gap between the first and second verses of Genesis chapter 1. Some people have been taught that a gap of millions of years between the original creation of the Earth and the Earth we know today can explain the fossil record and the millions of years proposed by evolution.

Also called the ruin-reconstruction theory, this idea says that an earlier creation existed that was judged by God. Those who believe in this theory usually place Satan’s fall, dinosaurs and so-called “cave men” into this earlier creation.

The gap theory was first proposed about two centuries ago by Rev. Thomas Chalmers as a response to the growing popularity of long evolutionary ages. It was widely spread among Christians in the notes that first appeared in the Scofield Reference Bible of 1917.

The gap theory, however, does not satisfy evolutionists; neither does the Hebrew of Genesis support it. Most importantly, the Bible teaches us that death first came into the world when humans began to sin. The Bible repeats many times that sin and death began with Adam and not before. This is such an important point that the Bible links the beginning of sin and death with the first Adam … and the victory over sin and death with Jesus Christ, spoken of as the Second Adam.

3/19/2026

Ring Around The Roses

The Great Plague stretched across London like a thick, drab blanket. It came as a thief in the night. The mortality rate was astounding.

Someone came up with the foolish idea that polluted air brought on the plague. So, people began to carry flower petals in their pockets, superstitiously thinking the fragrance would ward off the disease. Groups of victims, if they could walk, were taken outside the hospitals. Holding hands, they walked in circles around rose gardens, breathing in deeply the aroma of the blooming plants. As death came closer, another superstitious act was employed with sincerity. Many felt if the lungs could be freed from pollution, life could be sustained. So, ashes were placed in a spoon and brought up near the nose, causing a hefty sneeze or two. But nothing retarded the raging death rate. Not until the real cause was discovered—the bite of fleas from diseased rats—was the plague brought in check.

The awful experience is one explanation for a little song that innocent children still sing at play. It was first heard from the lips of a soiled old man pushing a cart in London, picking up bodies along an alley: “Ring around the roses, / A pocket full of posies; / Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.”

3/18/2026

Saturn

When I was in primary school, my teacher came out with a weird scientific fact about Saturn. He told us that if you could get a big enough tank of water, then Saturn would float in it!

In a sense, this is a non-fact. After all, if there was a tank of water big enough to contain Saturn, it would be too big to accommodate on the Earth, and, in any case, the tank would be large enough to have its own gravitational field. But what the teacher was getting at is that Saturn is the only planet in the Solar System whose density is less than that of water.

Today, we have a lot of unusual facts about Saturn, many of which were discovered by the Cassini spacecraft, which, in my opinion, must be one of the most successful space missions of all time.

Astronomers have discussed ideas about the formation of Saturn’s beautiful rings for decades. I was taught as a child that Saturn’s gravitational pull had smashed one of its moons to pieces, and the rings were the debris from that event millions of years ago. Cassini has shown that the rings must have formed far too recently to be explained as a destroyed moon. The gravitational pull of the rings is much too small to have had them last for millions of years. In short, Saturn’s apparent age is consistent with a biblical timescale, not the imagined millions of deep-time years.

3/17/2026

Eyewitness Testimony

Imagine yourself a member of the jury in a courtroom, preparing to decide one of the oldest cases in history: The People vs. Jesus of Nazareth.

The case regards Jesus’ claim that He died and was miraculously and bodily raised from the dead. For centuries, people have disputed this claim, basing their prosecution on one of three theories.

First, the swoon theory claims that Jesus did not actually die on the cross but was in such a state of exhaustion due to loss of strength and blood, that He “swooned” into a coma. Believed to be dead, He was taken down and put into a tomb where He later revived.

Second, the kidnap theory says that Jesus did actually die, but in the middle of the night, someone took His body. Unseen by the soldiers guarding the tomb, the kidnapper or kidnappers pushed back the stone, stole the body, and hid it where it would never be found.

Third, the hallucination theory, borrowed from the kidnap theory, claims that Christ died and His body was hidden away. And those disciples who later claimed to see the raised Christ actually had hallucinations. In other words, the person they claimed to be the resurrected Christ was a figment of their imaginations.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John offer eyewitness testimony. Everything in their case begins with the fact that Jesus did die. He didn’t swoon. He wasn’t kidnapped. The disciples weren’t hallucinating.

For centuries, that empty tomb—Jesus’ resurrection—has transformed countless lives. Will you remain in the darkness or step out into the dawn of new hope?

3/16/2026

Six-Day War

The Six-Day War was a brief but bloody conflict fought in June 1967 between Israel and the Arab states of Egypt, Syria and Jordan. Following years of diplomatic friction and skirmishes between Israel and its neighbors, Israel Defense Forces launched preemptive air strikes that crippled the air forces of Egypt and its allies. Israel then staged a successful ground offensive and seized the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. The brief war ended with a U.N.-brokered ceasefire, but it significantly altered the map of the Mideast and gave rise to lingering geopolitical friction.

ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT

The Six-Day War came on the heels of several decades of political tension and military conflict between Israel and the Arab states.

In 1948, following disputes surrounding the founding of Israel, a coalition of Arab nations had launched a failed invasion of the nascent Jewish state as part of the First Arab-Israeli War.

A second major conflict known as the Suez Crisis erupted in 1956, when Israel, the United Kingdom and France staged a controversial attack on Egypt in response to Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s nationalization of the Suez Canal.

An era of relative calm prevailed in the Middle East during the late 1950s and early 1960s, but the political situation continued to rest on a knife edge. Arab leaders were aggrieved by their military losses and the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees created by Israel’s victory in the 1948 war.

Many Israelis, meanwhile, continued to believe they faced an existential threat from Egypt and other Arab nations.

ORIGINS OF THE SIX-DAY WAR

A series of border disputes were the major spark for the Six-Day War. By the mid-1960s, Syrian-backed Palestinian guerillas had begun staging attacks across the Israeli border, provoking reprisal raids from the Israel Defense Forces.

In April 1967, the skirmishes worsened after Israel and Syria fought a ferocious air and artillery engagement in which six Syrian fighter jets were destroyed.

In the wake of the April air battle, the Soviet Union provided Egypt with intelligence that Israel was moving troops to its northern border with Syria in preparation for a full-scale invasion. The information was inaccurate, but it nevertheless stirred Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser into action.

In a show of support for his Syrian allies, he ordered Egyptian forces to advance into the Sinai Peninsula, where they expelled a United Nations peacekeeping force that had been guarding the border with Israel for over a decade.

MIDEAST TENSIONS ESCALATE

In the days that followed, Nasser continued to rattle the saber: On May 22, he banned Israeli shipping from the Straits of Tiran, the sea passage connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. A week later, he sealed a defense pact with King Hussein of Jordan.

As the situation in the Middle East deteriorated, American President Lyndon B. Johnson cautioned both sides against firing the first shot and attempted to garner support for an international maritime operation to reopen the Straits of Tiran.

The plan never materialized, however, and by early June 1967, Israeli leaders had voted to counter the Arab military buildup by launching a preemptive strike.

SIX-DAY WAR ERUPTS

On June 5, 1967, the Israel Defense Forces initiated Operation Focus, a coordinated aerial attack on Egypt. That morning, some 200 aircraft took off from Israel and swooped west over the Mediterranean before converging on Egypt from the north.

After catching the Egyptians by surprise, they assaulted 18 different airfields and eliminated roughly 90 percent of the Egyptian air force as it sat on the ground. Israel then expanded the range of its attack and decimated the air forces of Jordan, Syria and Iraq.

By the end of the day on June 5, Israeli pilots had won full control of the skies over the Middle East.

Israel all but secured victory by establishing air superiority, but fierce fighting continued for several more days. The ground war in Egypt began on June 5. In concert with the air strikes, Israeli tanks and infantry stormed across the border and into the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip.

Egyptian forces put up a spirited resistance, but later fell into disarray after Field Marshal Abdel Hakim Amer ordered a general retreat. Over the next several days, Israeli forces pursued the routed Egyptians across the Sinai, inflicting severe casualties.

A second front in the Six-Day War opened on June 5, when Jordan – reacting to false reports of an Egyptian victory – began shelling Israeli positions in Jerusalem. Israel responded with a devastating counterattack on East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

On June 7, Israeli troops captured the Old City of Jerusalem and celebrated by praying at the Western Wall.

ISRAEL CELEBRATES VICTORY

The last phase of the fighting took place along Israel’s northeastern border with Syria. On June 9, following an intense aerial bombardment, Israeli tanks and infantry advanced on a heavily fortified region of Syria called the Golan Heights. They successfully captured the Golan the next day.

On June 10, 1967, a United Nations-brokered ceasefire took effect and the Six-Day War came to an abrupt end. It was later estimated that some 20,000 Arabs and 800 Israelis had died in just 132 hours of fighting.

The leaders of the Arab states were left shocked by the severity of their defeat. Egyptian President Nasser even resigned in disgrace, only to promptly return to office after Egyptian citizens showed their support with massive street demonstrations.

In Israel, the national mood was jubilant. In less than a week, the young nation had captured the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria.

LEGACY OF THE SIX-DAY WAR

The Six-Day War had momentous geopolitical consequences in the Middle East. Victory in the war led to a surge of national pride in Israel, which had tripled in size, but it also fanned the flames of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Still wounded by their defeat in the Six-Day War, Arab leaders met in Khartoum, Sudan, in August 1967, and signed a resolution that promised “no peace, no recognition and no negotiation” with Israel.

Led by Egypt and Syria, the Arab states later launched a fourth major conflict with Israel during 1973’s Yom Kippur War.

By claiming the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the state of Israel also absorbed over one million Palestinian Arabs. Several hundred thousand Palestinians later fled Israeli rule, worsening a refugee crisis that had begun during the First Arab-Israeli War in 1948 and laying the groundwork for ongoing political turmoil and violence.

Since 1967, the lands Israel seized in the Six-Day War have been at the center of efforts to end the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in 1982 as part of a peace treaty and then withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, but it has continued to occupy and settle other territory claimed in the Six-Day War, most notably the Golan Heights and the West Bank. The status of these territories continues to be a stumbling block in Arab-Israeli peace negotiations.

3/15/2026

Slavery

Demographically, the Roman Empire was an ordinary premodern state. It had high infant mortality, a low marriage age, and high fertility within marriage. Perhaps half of Roman subjects died by the age of 5. Of those still alive at age 10, half would die by the age of 50. At its peak, after the Antonine Plague of the 160s CE, it had a population of about 60–70 million and a population density of about 16 people per square kilometer. In contrast to the European societies of the classical and medieval periods, Rome had unusually high urbanization rates. During the 2nd century CE, the city of Rome had more than one million inhabitants. No Western city would have as many again until the 19th century. Half were slaves.

1. Types of Slaves

The Bible identifies different categories of slaves including female Hebrew slaves, male Hebrew slaves, non-Hebrew and hereditary slaves. These were subject to different regulations.

Female Hebrews could be sold by their fathers and enslaved for life (Exodus 21:7-11), but there were some limits to this.

Male Hebrews could sell themselves into slavery for a six-year period to eliminate their debts, after which they might go free. However, if the male slave had been given a wife and had children with her, they would remain his master’s property. They could only stay with their family by becoming permanent slaves (Exodus 21:2-5). Evangelical Christians, especially those who subscribe to Biblical inerrancy, will commonly emphasize this debt bondage and try to minimize the other forms of race-based chattel slavery when attempting to excuse the Bible for endorsing slavery.

Non-Hebrews, on the other hand, could (according to Leviticus 25:44) be subjected to slavery in exactly the way that it is usually understood. The slaves could be bought, sold and inherited when their owner died. This, by any standard, is race- or ethnicity-based, and Leviticus 25:44-46 explicitly allows slaves to be bought from foreign nations or foreigners living in Israel. It does say that simply kidnapping Hebrews to enslave them is a crime punishable by death (Deuteronomy 24:7), but no such prohibition exists regarding foreigners. War captives could be made slaves, assuming they had refused to make peace (this applied to women and children — men were simply killed), along with the seizure of all their property (Deuteronomy 20:10-15).

Hereditary slaves were born into slavery and there is no apparent way by which they could obtain their freedom.

2. Abduction and the slave trade

Hebrews were not allowed to abduct fellow Hebrews and sell them.
Exodus 21:16 (NASB): He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.

Given that the Hebrews were instructed in Leviticus 25:44 to obtain their slaves from the people around them, it is evident that this injunction to not abduct people referred to Hebrews and not non-Hebrews. Obtaining and selling non-Hebrews was evidently not a problem. Deuteronomy 24:7 specifies that only the abduction of Hebrews to enslave them is a crime.
Deuteronomy 24:7.

If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you.
Though this same quote is at times brought up by apologists in attempts to make Biblical slavery look better.

3. Escaped slaves

An escaped slave could not be handed over to his master, and would gain full citizenship among Israelites:

Deuteronomy 23:15-16 (NASB): You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you. He shall live with you in your midst, in the place which he shall choose in one of your towns where it pleases him; you shall not mistreat him.

However, as the BibleTrack commentary puts it regarding Deuteronomy 23:15:

“”Most students of the Old Testament agree that this regulation concerns a slave who has escaped from his master in some foreign land and sought refuge in Israel. We do know that, in addition to slaves captured in battle, debt slavery and voluntary slavery existed in Israel and was protected by law, so it seems unlikely that this law applies to those two categories of slaves. We simply aren’t given any detail beyond these two verses.

3/14/2026

State of the Bible

In 2018 Barna conducted its annual State of the Bible survey, in partnership with American Bible Society, to examine behaviors and beliefs about the Bible among U.S. adults. The results show that, despite shifting cultural trends, Americans still read the Word, and it remains a powerful, transformative tool in their life. These and other snapshots are included in our list of top seven findings from this year’s State of the Bible report.

1. Half of Americans Are Bible Users…

Overall, about half of Americans are “Bible users”—that is, they engage with the Bible on their own by using, listening to, watching, praying or using Bible text or content in any format (not including use at a church service) at least three to four times a year (48%). Bible use has remained relatively consistent since 2011. Adults who use the Bible daily account for 14 percent of the total adult population, followed by 13 percent who use it several times a week, 8 percent who do so once a week, 6 percent about once a month and 8 percent who use it three to four times a year.

2. Bible Use Is More Likely Among Boomers, City Dwellers and Southerners…

City dwellers (53%) and small town or rural (49%) residents report higher use of the Bible than do adults who reside in the suburbs (42%). Above-average use can also be found among residents of the South (55%), particularly compared to the other regions: the Northeast (42%), the West (44%) and the Midwest (49%). Millennials (47%), Gen X (45%) and Elders (48%) are slightly less likely to use the Bible than Boomers (51%).

3. Use of Technology to Read the Bible Has Grown Steadily…

For Bible users, the appeal of a print version of the Bible remains high at almost nine in 10 (89%). Little has changed in the preference for a physical copy of the scriptures in the last eight years since tracking began. Although use of digital formats is also on par with 2017, in general, use has steadily climbed since 2011. More than half of users now search for Bible content on the internet (57%) or a smartphone (55%), and another 42 percent use a Bible app on their phones. More than one-third listens to a teaching via podcast (35%) or audio version of the Bible (36%). Usage for all these formats continues to grow each year with the exception of small group usage, which appears to be on the decline again after having trended upward.

4. Two-Thirds of Americans Express Bible Curiosity…

Two-thirds of Americans (66%) express at least some curiosity to know more about what the Bible says, including one in three (29%) who express a strong desire. A similar number of adults (63%) are interested in knowing more about who Jesus Christ is, including 31 percent who agree strongly. Curiosity is most common among weekly church attenders, adults who have never been to college and adults with minor children at home. Those who are already familiar with and open to using the Bible and those who are already in the church pews are the most movable.

5. Half of Americans Ponder How the Bible Applies to Life…

Just over half of adults who used the Bible in the past week (53%) say they give a lot of thought to how it might apply to their lives. Although the number of those who think deeply about scripture in this way is statistically on par with 2017, it has slipped since 2011 (61%). Those with higher levels of Bible engagement are predictably more likely to say they give a lot of thought to the Bible’s application. Just over half of adults who used the Bible in the past week say they give a lot of thought to how it might apply to their lives.

6. People Think that Reading the Bible Impacts Spiritual Growth…

More than half of monthly Bible users report that reading the Bible has resulted in a self-perceived willingness to engage in their faith more (56%) and to show more loving behavior toward others (54%). Two out of five Bible users (42%) say they are more generous with their time, energy or financial resources. More than half of Bible users (57%) contend that when they use the Bible, they have a greater awareness of how much they need God all of the time. Slightly less than half experience a curiosity to know God better (48%) and consistently experience a sense of connection with God (47%).

7. Six in 10 Americans Believe the Bible Has Transformed Their Life…

Overall, almost six in 10 U.S. adults (58%) believe that the message of the Bible has transformed their life, including three in 10 (28%) who agree strongly with this statement. Roughly two in five adults (42%) say the Bible has not transformed their life. Married adults and those with children under 18 are both more likely to indicate that the Bible has been life-changing. Almost six in 10 U.S. adults believe that the message of the Bible has transformed their life.

About the Research…

This release contains the findings from a nationwide study commissioned by the American Bible Society and conducted by Barna Group. Two research methodologies were used for the study; one included 1,004 telephone interviews with adults 18 and older in the continental U.S., while the other was an online survey conducted with 1,036 adults using a nationally representative panel. A total of 2,040 interviews were conducted. A subset of the questions was asked in the telephone survey, while all of the questions were included online. The use of two methodologies provides a larger sample size and ensures greater representation among all age groups, ethnicities and socioeconomic groups. The telephone interviews were conducted from January 4 to January 11, 2018, and the online surveys were conducted January 9 to January 18, 2018.

3/13/2026

Stone Age Bodies

Where are all of the stone-age bodies?

Evolutionary anthropologists state that for at least 100,000 years, the population of Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon men was roughly constant, between 1 and 10 million, during which time they were burying their dead.

Allegedly, the population remained fairly constant because the hunter-gatherer way of life would only support that many people over the face of the earth.

Based on evolutionary data, they would have buried 4 billion bodies during that period of time.

This is conservatively calculated by dividing 100,000 years by 25 years/generation to arrive at 4,000 generations. With a million people dying every generation, this results in a total of 4 billion buried bodies. Lest the reader think this number to be too high , at least one anthropologist estimates “a cumulative total of about 110 billion individuals seem to have passed their days, and left their bones, if not their marks on this crowded planet”. So the figure of 4 billion bodies is a very conservative one indeed compared to 110 billion . Shouldn’t many of the supposed 4 billion Stone Age skeletons still be around since evolutionists readily claim that buried fossils last a lot longer than 100,000 years? Compare that number with the world population today of about 7.5 billion.

If that many people died and were buried today, graves would be everywhere! It is truly amazing that only a few thousand pre-historic bodies have been found. Where are all these dead bodies?

If the ‘Stone Age’ truly lasted 100,000 years, 1 million years, 10 million years, or whatever evolution speculations dictate, archaeologists should be finding innumerable buried Stone Age bodies.

They are not. The data does not fit the evolutionary model. If the stone age only lasted a few hundred years, the total population would have been very low, hence archaeologists would be finding a comparable number of buried Stone Age bodies, a few thousand. That is what archaeologists are finding.

This is a monumental unanswered discrepancy in evolutionary timetables.

We have found as Creationists, the number of individuals living today does however, line up with the model of Creation, that is, the number of 8 people from the Ark until now, taking all Wars, famine, and disease into account.

3/12/2026

Teleology

Teleology is the study of design or purpose in natural phenomena. This law of science essentially means that when an object reflects a purpose, goal, or design, it must have had a designer. Simply put, things do not design themselves. This holds true for the things in the universe, which proves that it had to have a Designer.

For example, the earth in orbiting the sun departs from a straight line by only one-ninth of an inch every 18 miles—a very straight line in human terms. If the orbit changed by one-tenth of an inch every 18 miles, it would be vastly larger, and we would all freeze to death. If it changed by one-eighth of an inch, we would be incinerated. The sun is burning at approximately 20 million degrees Celsius at its interior. If the earth was moved 10% farther away, we would soon freeze to death. If it were moved 10% closer, we would be reduced to ashes. Are we to believe that such precision “just happened”?

Think about it: the sun is poised at 93 million miles from Earth, which happens to be just right. Did this happen by chance or by design? It’s no small wonder that the psalmist alludes to God as the grand designer: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. . . . [The sun] rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other” (Psalm 19:1, 6).

3/11/2026

Temple Priests

You might remember that even though King David wanted to build the Temple as a permanent worship center for the Jewish people, God had not allowed him to do so because of disobedience.

As in I Kings, the record is clear in I Chronicles 22 that King David prepared for the building of the Temple by gathering together the monies needed, plus the manpower and materials for the Temple including all the furniture of the Temple, I Chronicles 22:14.

David would also gather the Levites together to set them in “order” so that they might serve in the Temple at an allotted time of the year, as well as the times of the Jewish Feast Days. I Chronicles 24 is the schedule for the priest to serve in the Temple as set forth by King David.

The priests who served at the Temple begin their “priesthood” at the age of thirty, having studied for twenty-eight years the priestly duties and responsibilities.

The number of Levites serving the Temple in one capacity or another was 38,000, verse 3. And of these, 24,000 of them were to “set forth the work of the house of the Lord”, verse 4.

It’s interesting to note that 4,000 of the 38,000 were “to praise the Lord” with instruments which King David had made to be used for “praising the Lord”. It was the “harp” that King David had made and used to “praise the Lord”. He also wrote many of the Psalms by using his harp.

As you read through the entire 23rd chapter of I Chronicles, you’ll notice that in verses 7-23 King David sets certain families aside for service in the Temple. This is similar to the divisions of the sons of Aaron into the twenty-four orders to serve at the Temple, as found in I Chronicles 24.

From verses 24-32, David gives further instructions for service at the Temple. Please notice King David’s statement in verse 25, it is very prophetic. Because of the Davidic Covenant, the promise from the Lord to David, the aged King of Israel, was that the Jewish people would dwell in Jerusalem, forever.

3/10/2026

Some Angels Do Not Look Like Angels

Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! (Hebrews 13:1–2)

Who really cared? His was a routine admission to busy Bellevue Hospital. A charity case, one among hundreds. A bum from the Bowery with a slashed throat. The Bowery . . . last stop before the morgue. Synonym of filth, loneliness, cheap booze, drugs, and disease.

The details of what had happened in the predawn of that chilly winter’s morning were fuzzy. The nurse probably shrugged it off. She had seen thousands and she was sure to see thousands more. Would it have made any difference if she and those who treated him had known who he was? Probably so.

His recent past was the antithesis of his earlier years. The Bowery became the dead-end street of an incredible life. On that icy January morning before the sun had crept over New York’s skyline, in a 25-cent-a-night flophouse, a shell of a man who looked twice his age staggered to the wash basin and fell. The basin toppled and shattered.

He was found lying in a heap, naked and bleeding from a deep gash in his throat. His forehead was badly bruised and he was semiconscious. A doctor was called, no one special—remember, this was the Bowery. He used black sewing thread that somebody had found to suture the wound. That would do. All the while the bum begged for a drink. A buddy shared the bottom of a rum bottle to calm his nerves.

He was dumped in a paddy wagon and dropped off at Bellevue Hospital, where he would languish, unable to eat for three days . . . and die. Still unknown.

A friend seeking him was directed to the local morgue. There, among dozens of other colorless, nameless corpses with tags on their toes, he was identified. When they scraped together his belongings, they found a ragged, dirty coat with 38 cents in one pocket and a scrap of paper in the other. All his earthly goods. Enough coins for another night in the Bowery and five words, “Dear friends and gentle hearts.” Almost like the words of a song, someone thought. But who cared?

Why in the world would a forgotten drunk carry around a line of lyrics? Maybe he still believed he had it in him. Maybe that derelict with the body of a bum still had the heart of a genius. For once upon a time, long before his tragic death at age 38, he had written songs that literally made the whole world sing, such as:

“Camptown Races”
“Oh! Susanna!”
“Beautiful Dreamer”
“Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair”
“Old Folks at Home”
“My Old Kentucky Home”

And 200 more that have become deeply rooted in our rich American heritage. Thanks to Stephen Foster, whom nobody knew. And for whom nobody cared.

Deep within many a forgotten life is a scrap of hope, a lonely melody trying hard to return. Some are in prison. Some in hospitals. Some in nursing homes. And some silently slip into church on Sunday morning, terribly confused and afraid. Until someone steps in. And stoops down. And, in love, rebuilds a life, restores a soul, rekindles a flame that sin snuffed out, and renews a song that once was there.

Do you care? Enough “to show hospitality to strangers,” as Hebrews 13:2 puts it? It also says that in doing so, we occasionally “entertain angels without knowing it.”

Angels that don’t look anything like angels. Some might look like bums from the Bowery, but they may have a song dying in their hearts because nobody knows and nobody cares.

3/9/2026

The First 10 Descendants

“Adam, Sheth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered, Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”

There are ten names in the first part of the Genesis 5 genealogy, from Adam to Noah. These names also appear in order in 1 Chronicles 1:1-3. What can these verses mean? 1 Chronicles is particularly unusual because it simply lists the names without any explanation. I would argue that the fact that we have the same list in Genesis 5 and 1 Chronicles 1 indicates that there are no gaps in this genealogy.

It is popular to believe that the genealogies have gaps. Perhaps some genealogies do, but those of Genesis 5 and Genesis 11 are different because they contain numbers. The numbers of years listed seem to suggest that they can be used to calculate a simple chronology.

The meanings of the names give a clue to why there are no gaps. Adam means man, Seth means appointed, Enosh means mortal, Kenan sorrow, Mahalalel the God who is to be praised, Jared He shall come down, Enoch teacher, Methuselah means his death shall bring it about, Lamech weary, Noah rest. Put the names together, and we find that the first section of 1 Chronicles actually reads: “Man is appointed mortal sorrow, but the God who is to be praised shall come down, teaching that His death shall bring the weary rest.” This is a statement of the Gospel! Yet, this does not work if there were to be any gaps in the Genesis 5 genealogy. It is no coincidence – this line of descent would eventually culminate in Jesus Christ Himself.

3/8/2026

The Human Body

Nearly 3,000 years ago the psalmist, David, wrote, “I praise Thee because I have been fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous is Thy workmanship as my soul is well aware” (Psalm 139:14). But just how wonderfully made man really is has come to light only in the past century as science has began to unlock the secrets of the human body. The human body, according to medical science, contains 37 trillion cells that reproduce themselves every seven years. Each one of the 37 trillion cells performs 10,000 different chemical functions, according to the late Dr. Ralph Byron of the City of Hope Cancer Clinic, yet all of them just work together to produce a healthy body.

When you get tired, you cannot say, “All right, cell number 843,291, get to work. You are not pulling your share of the load.” All of these cells are linked together by nerve cells tied into a brain containing 100 billion cells (give or take a few). I hesitate to say that these 100 billion nerve cells are tied into a computer‑like device called the human brain since the human brain is far superior to any computer ever created. The eminent neuroscientist Moshe Abeles of Bar-Ilan University in Israel says, “Our ability to understand all the details of even one brain is practically zero.”

Your marvelous body is powered by a digestive system that contains acids strong enough to eat the varnish off a table, yet function adequately in the stomach and intestine. Apply those same acids to the backside of your hand and it would immediately burn it. But within the human body the acids break down the foods that you eat into fuel that is carried to your body through your bloodstream.

The blood is impelled by a powerful man-sized fist-shaped muscle known as a heart‑‑a complex device that beats more than 2.5 million times in an average life span. I had breakfast with a friend and Wes was sporting a new cast on his arm. Having taken a fall while walking the dog, Wes ended up with a broken arm. Adjusting to the new handicap, he reached for his mouth with his napkin only to discover that he was closer to his ear. What a way to learn to appreciate the dexterity of your hand, which performs some 58 different movements. And all of this we take for granted.

One more thing: What of the marvel of the human eye, that remarkable little lens that lets you see the flowers, trees, and sunshine as it filters through the clouds? In spite of the fact that some of us find it necessary to wear glasses to correct astigmatism, our eyes continue to let us perceive the world with a third dimension that lets us walk through the forest without hitting the trees. Glands lubricate the delicate tissues of the eye, allowing it to function year after year without burning out as do the light bulbs or the TV tubes that must be replaced periodically.

“Just happened,” some say, speaking of the marvelous human body. It just happened about like an explosion in a print shop producing an unabridged dictionary of the English language. Why don’t you, like David of old, pause, fill your lungs with clean air, and lift your head toward heaven, saying, “Thank you, Lord, for my health and for my body. Thank you, Father, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made!” (Psalm 139:14).

3/7/2026

The True Word Of God

There is a unity of teaching in the Bible that is startling in light of being written. For example it was written by 40 different people in a timeline of 1,500 years: soldiers, kings, shepherds, statesmen and common men. These writers lived in different places: cities, deserts, palaces, and tiny towns including three different continents: in Egypt (Africa), in Italy (Europe), in Judea (Asia). They wrote at different times, including periods of war and peace, times of prosperity and great need. They expressed different moods: feelings of great joy and great sorrow, moments of fear and times of security. They wrote in three different languages including Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. They addressed many controversial topics such as history, science, philosophy, geology, cosmology, the nature of God, the role of government, the nature of mankind, moral issues, biology, political alliances, religious ceremonies.

Through all of these differences, the Bible is not a mix of contradictory ideas. It reads like one story with harmony and continuity from Genesis to Revelation. It truly is the inspired word of a Holy God.

3/6/2026

Animals On The Ark

HOW MANY ANIMALS WERE REALLY ON NOAH’S ARK?

For decades critics have mocked the Ark with the same worn out claim. “There are millions of species. Noah could never fit them all on a boat.” That argument collapses the moment you look at the actual data and the biblical text instead of outdated evolutionary talking points.

God told Noah to build a vessel 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. Using a standard 20.4 inch cubit, that gives you a ship over 510 feet long with nearly two million cubic feet of storage. That is the equivalent of 450 semitrailers. A genuine oceanready vessel built to ride out judgment. Nothing about this was a bathtub toy. It was a massive, functional, cargo carrying ship designed by God Himself.

Now here is what skeptics never want to admit. Noah was not told to take species. The Bible says kinds. A kind is a broad category from which many species come. Dogs, wolves, dingoes, coyotes. One kind. Horses, zebras, donkeys. One kind. Lions, tigers, leopards. One kind. The vast diversity we see today is simply the unfolding of God’s built in genetic potential after the Flood. No millions of species required.

The Ark Encounter research team studied hybridization, anatomy, and statistical baraminology to estimate the maximum number of kinds. Their worst case scenario includes fourteen of every flying and clean kind and two of every unclean kind. Even with generous splitting of groups to avoid undercounting, the total is not millions. It is not hundreds of thousands. It is fewer than 7,000 individual animals from roughly 1,400 kinds.

That means over 98 percent of modern species never needed to board the Ark because they are marine organisms, plants, insects, or non land dependent creatures. Today there are fewer than 34,000 land dependent vertebrate species, and all of those descended from the much smaller number of original Ark kinds. Skeptics quoting inflated “millions of species” are clinging to arguments that collapse the moment Scripture and real biology confront them.

Now consider this. The vast majority of Ark animals were small. Only about 15 percent would have reached the size of a beagle at adulthood. Juveniles take up less space, eat less, produce less waste, and are easier to manage. With all this factored in, a digital 3D Ark model confirms that animals, food, water, and enclosures fit with room to spare.

Once again the old objections fall away. Once again the Word of God stands firm.

Noah did not take millions of species. He took representatives of every created kind exactly as God commanded. They fit. They survived. They replenished the earth.

Skeptics may cling to outdated assumptions, but Scripture, science, and simple mathematics testify to a different story. God judged the world. God preserved a remnant. God’s Word remains true.

3/5/2026

The Human Ear

The human ear has to be one of the most remarkable mechanisms that you can find. The bit of the ear that we can see is only part of the mechanism that God created for us to hear with.

The outer ear, or pinna, is shaped in such a way as to direct the compressions and rarefactions of sound waves into the ear-hole – or auditory canal. What do you do if you can’t quite hear what is being said? Do you cup your hand around your outer ear? This helps collect a little more sound, reflecting into the auditory canal.

At the inner end of this canal, there is a layer of skin stretched across – the timpanic membrane, or “eardrum”. The sound waves cause this to vibrate. This, in turn, sets three tiny bones vibrating – the smallest bones in your body known, because of their shapes, as the hammer, anvil and stirrup. These bones, known collectively as ossicles, vibrate each other in a manner which achieves two important effects. First, the sound entering the ear is concentrated and amplified, and second, distracting side sounds are reduced considerably. The ossicles amplify sound by up to 20 times. Finally, the stirrup vibrates the secondary timpanic membrane – another layer of thin skin – which, in turn, affects the vestibulocochlear nerve which transmits the messages to the brain.

Evolutionists believe that the ossicles evolved from the reptilian jaw bones. Yet, everything in the ear works together so well that it is an obvious example of high level design.

3/4/2026

Long Life

It is somewhat of a mystery why people in early chapters of Genesis lived such long lives. There are many theories put forward by biblical scholars. The genealogy in Genesis 5 records the line of the godly descendants of Seth—the line that would eventually produce the Messiah. God possibly blessed this line with especially long life as a result of their godliness and obedience. While this is a possible explanation, the Bible nowhere specifically limits the long lifespans to the individuals mentioned in Genesis chapter 5. Further, other than Enoch, Genesis 5 does not identify any of the individuals as being especially godly. It is likely that everyone during that time lived several hundred years. Several factors may have contributed to this.

Something happened at the global flood to shorten men’s lifespans. Compare the lifespans before the flood (Genesis 5:1–32) with those after the flood (Genesis 11:10–32). Immediately after the flood, the ages decreased dramatically and then kept decreasing. A key may be in Genesis 6:3: “The Lord said, ‘My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.’” Many people see the reference to “a hundred and twenty years” as the new, divinely appointed limit on man’s age. By the time of Moses (who lived 120 years), lifespans were much lower. After Moses, only one person is recorded as having lived past 120 (2 Chronicles 24:15).

One theory for why the people of Genesis lived such long lives is based on the idea that a canopy of water used to surround the earth. According to the canopy theory, the water “above the firmament” (Genesis 1:7, KJV) created a greenhouse effect and blocked much of the radiation that now hits the earth, resulting in ideal living conditions. At the time of the flood, the water canopy was poured out on the earth (Genesis 7:11), ending the ideal environment. The canopy theory has been abandoned by most creationists today.

Another consideration is that, in the first few generations after creation, the human genetic code had developed few defects. Adam and Eve were created perfect. They were surely highly resistant to disease and illness. Their descendants would have inherited these advantages, albeit to lesser degrees. Over time, as a result of sin, the human genetic code became increasingly corrupted, and human beings became more and more susceptible to death and disease. This would also have resulted in drastically reduced lifespans.

3/3/2026

The Human Heart

Consider the most amazing part of your body we call the heart and how marvelous it is, something unduplicated by science and technology. Your heart is a muscle about the size of your fist. When you were born, your heart weighed less than one ounce, and if you are an adult male your heart weighs about 11 ounces; 9 ounces if you are a female. That means your life is dependent upon a muscle that weighs less than a pound, or 400 grams. It’s the most critical part of your body, too, one which works day and night, never takes vacations, seldom gets rest, and never goes to sleep. There are four chambers in your heart with valves between them, and these cooperate in pumping blood through a vast network of veins, arteries, and capillaries, bringing oxygen and nourishment to your body.

To a far greater degree than we acknowledge or even ponder, we are dependent on this muscle’s silent performance, because if it quits, you do, as well – and very quickly, too. You can get along quite well with just one eye, or still function with the loss of hearing in one ear. Though it’s sad, you can survive with the loss of an arm or leg. But when your heart becomes diseased, unless surgery can correct the situation, you are in grave trouble.

Based on a heartbeat of 70 times a minute, your heart beats 4200 times an hour, 100,800 times every 24 hours, and over 36 million times a year. By the time you reach 70 years of age, your heart has beaten over 2.5 trillion times.

Connected to your heart is a vast network of veins and arteries–a kind of built-in transportation system for your blood–which, if connected end to end, would stretch between 60,000 and 100,000 miles, or reach up to four times around the world at the equator. The volume of blood pumped by your heart in a year is about 650,000 gallons or 2,460,250 liters. That’s enough to fill more than 81 standard railroad tank cars. Your beating heart generates enough energy in a twelve-hour period to lift one of those tank cars weighing 65 tons, a foot off the ground.

Some 3000 years ago the Psalmist said, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalms 139:14). And that was long before the days of Dr. Christiaan Barnard of South Africa, who performed the first heart transplant, or before Dr. Tom Fogarty invented the little plastic balloon which smoothes out clogged arteries or doctors knew how to insert little stainless-steel stents which pop against weakened arteries and keep them open, thus ensuring the flow of blood to your heart.

Your heart is an awesome marvel which is the key to keeping you alive and healthy. When you take care of it, it takes good care of you, but when you abuse it and fail to nourish it, like anything mechanical it will wear out.

3/2/2026

The Venus Flytrap

The exotic Venus flytrap is an insect-catching plant and a wonder of God’s engineering. For example, these meat-eating plants usually live in mineral-poor soils, but by catching their own lunch, they actually provide their own fertilizer.

Up until now, scientists have not fully understood what causes the trap of the flytrap to close so rapidly on its victim. They knew that when an insect trips the little trigger hairs inside the trap, those hairs send an electric impulse to the cells on the outside of the trap.

Now it has been learned that this impulse almost instantly causes the outer cells of the trap to secrete acid. The acid breaks down the cell walls and they expand at high speed, causing the trap to close. The more the insect fights the trap, the more tightly it closes. Six to twelve hours later, after lunch is digested, the trap receives chemical signals from inside – the carnivorous plant’s version of a burp – and opens to await the next meal.

The Venus flytrap is a glowing example of what Scripture is talking about when it says that the works of the Lord are manifold – that He has made so much variety and so many ways of providing for living things. Truly, the Lord’s imagination and creativity are a wonder to behold!

3/1/2026

The Jewish Captivity By Babylon

II Chronicles 36 is the record of the third wave into Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army to destroy the Jewish Temple, devastate the city of Jerusalem and to take a number of Jews into the Babylonian captivity.

This is done to fulfill the prophecies of Jeremiah.

All the vessels of the Temple, with the exception of the “ark of the covenant”, II Chronicles 35:3, were taken into Babylon and placed in Nebuchadnezzar’s temples, verse 7. The Babylonian Army then burned the Temple down, broke down the walls of Jerusalem, burned all the palaces in Jerusalem, verse 19.

Verse 20 states that those Jews still alive in Jerusalem will be taken back to Babylon, to remain there until 70 years had been accomplished. The purpose for this was to fulfill the prophecies of Jeremiah.

These prophecies were given to illustrate God’s judgment on the Jews for not following His command as it relates to the land that He had given them. The command in question is found in Leviticus 25:4, the land of the Jewish people was to be given a rest, no crops grown on it, every seven years.

The Jews were disobedient to the Lord and did not give the land its Sabbaths and thus the Lord would do it for them, He would take the Jews out of their land and give the land its Sabbaths. Jeremiah would prophecy how this would happen.

Jeremiah 25:11 and 29:10 would foretell that Jerusalem would be desolate for seventy years and thus giving the land its Sabbaths. The Jews had not rested the land for 490 years, 490 divided by seven is seventy, the amount of years that Jerusalem was desolate.

There is a very interesting Biblical principle found in this historic event. We must be obedient to the Lord or He may well do what He must to make us follow His command.

Verse 21 says that all of these things happened so that the “word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah” would be fulfilled. All of the prophecies of God’s word will be fulfilled.

2/28/2026

Our Highest Sense

Our senses link us to the world around us and enable us to interact with the world. While most people believe that our sense of sight is the highest of the senses and the most marvelous in design, our sense of hearing is no less marvelous.

When a sound strikes your ear, your eardrum vibrates with the sound waves, fast or slow, soft or hard. These variations in vibration provide us with important information about the nature of the sound we are hearing. Some sounds produce a vibration in the eardrum as small as a billionth of a centimeter – only one-tenth the diameter of a hydrogen atom! There are three tiny bones in the middle ear called the hammer, anvil and stirrup. They pick up the vibrations from the eardrum, amplify them and send them on to the cochlea. The cochlea is filled with about 25,000 tiny hair cells that finally turn the vibrations into electrical signals that are sent on to the brain.

Our hearing is designed to be more sensitive to high-pitched sounds than to lower sounds. If we had just a little more sensitivity to lower-pitched sounds, we would continuously be distracted by the internal sounds of our body, including the blood rushing through our arteries. In fact, to help prevent this, there are no blood vessels at all in that part of the ear where vibrations are turned into electrical impulses. The body supports life in these tissues by constantly bathing them in dissolved nutrients.

While we can hear many things, and decide not to hear other things, the Creator who so marvelously designed our ears invites us to hear His Word to us from the Bible.

2/27/2026

Jesus Healing The Blind

In the Gospel of Mark, there is a fascinating account of Jesus healing in a two-step process. First, Jesus spat on the blind man’s eyes, restoring partial sight. Then Jesus put his hands on the blind man’s eyes, giving him a totally clear vision. Between the two steps, the man saw “men as trees, walking”. Today we call this agnosia, a condition where the brain does not have the ability to interpret what is being seen. There are many case histories of formerly blind people receiving sight, but not perceiving what they are seeing.

For example, Virgil, who had been blind from childhood, had his eyesight restored. When the bandages were removed, Virgil had no idea what he was seeing. His brain could not make sense of the images that his optic nerve was sending to his brain. He could see the parts of a cat clearly (such the tail and the nose), but the cat as a whole was blurry. “Trees didn’t look like anything on Earth, ” he said a few days after his operation. It was a month later before he finally saw trees the way we do. Blind people who regain their eyesight require time to develop new pathways in the brain’s visual cortex before they can perceive what they are seeing.

When Jesus healed the blind man, it was a two-step process. First, He healed the blindness in the eyes. Second, He healed the neurological pathways and connections in the brain. Why did Jesus do it this way? We don’t know for sure, but it does give a stamp of authority to the authenticity of the account. Back in Jesus’s day, there were no surgical ways of correcting blindness from birth. The writer could not have known about the problem of agnosia in the newly sighted. Perhaps Jesus wanted us (those who live in a time when such knowledge is available) to recognize that Scripture is not only medically accurate in its observation of historical events, but also miraculous in nature. Jesus did perform miracles.

2/26/2026

The King James Version of the Bible

The King James Version of the Bible is also called the Authorized Version, because the translation was authorized by King James I of England. The preface of the KJV dedicates the work “To the most High and Mighty Prince James, by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.” Prior to ruling England, James was King James VI of Scotland. It was not until 1603, upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I, that the kingdoms of Scotland and England were united and James became King James I of England, the first of the Stuart line.

Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to her son James in 1566 in Scotland. In June 1567 the Protestant lords rebelled against their queen. They arrested and imprisoned Mary in Loch Leven Castle, where she was forced to abdicate the throne of Scotland. James was thus only a year old when he became James VI, King of Scotland, in 1567. In spite of his mother’s Catholic faith, James was brought up in the Protestant religion. He was educated by men who had empathy for the Presbyterian Church.

King Henry IV of France called James “the wisest fool in Christendom.” Although intelligent and well educated, James was unpopular, and he made many enemies, especially in Parliament. James was seen as uncouth, and there is evidence that he was bisexual. He often wrote against the power of the pope and against Catholicism’s meddling in affairs of state. In his opposition to the pope’s power, James promoted the divine right of kings—the idea that kings are accountable to God and no one else. In 1605, a group of Catholics attempted to assassinate James and his wife and son and to blow up Parliament; however, the Gunpowder Plot was foiled. That incident is remembered today as Guy Fawkes Day.

James had his successes, too. He approved the design for the flag of Great Britain; he was a patron of the arts, and William Shakespeare was a sponsored playwright (Macbeth was written in James’s honor). Trade with India was expanded during James’s reign, and in 1607 England’s first permanent colony in the New World was established in Virginia—a colony named Jamestown, in the king’s honor. James was married to Anne of Denmark, and their son Charles later ruled England as King Charles I. James died in 1625 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

The creation of the King James Version of the Bible:

The Scottish Reformation was completed before the English Reformation. The Puritans and Scottish Presbyterians wanted a new Bible that would get as far away as possible from the structure of the Bishops’ Bible of the Anglican Church, and the idea of a new translation of the Bible was first proposed at a religious conference in Aberdour, Fife. King James was in favor of a new translation. He didn’t care for Tyndale’s translation of Matthew 16:18, which said Christ would build His “congregation” on Peter (James much preferred “church” from ekklesia). The only other alternative at the time was the 1560s Geneva Bible, but King James objected to a “treasonable annotation” on Matthew 2:20 that suggested that kings are tyrants.

In 1604 King James convened the Hampton Court Conference and authorized the start of a new translation of the Bible into English. The objective was to have one standard version of the Bible to be used across all English-speaking parishes. The task of translation was undertaken by 47 scholars, taken from a cross-section of Jacobean England. Many of them were highly skilled in ancient languages. The King James Authorized Version of the Bible was finished in 1611, just 85 years after the first translation of the New Testament into English appeared (Tyndale, 1526).

2/25/2026

The Last Supper Painting

It’s amazing to think that after all this time, The Last Supper painting continues to hold it’s audience captive. It’s considered one of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpieces, but it almost didn’t survive! What else do you not know about this painting? Whether you spend time trying to name all the disciples, or attribute thought bubbles to each one as they are captured in the moment Jesus announces his betrayal– there is so much to take in!

For those who are unfamiliar with the biblical event, the “Last Supper” was the final meal that Jesus shared with his disciples (close followers) before he was crucified. In keeping with the Jewish holiday, it is believed to have been a Passover meal celebrating the Jews’ escape from slavery in Egypt. It was during this meal that Jesus announced he had been betrayed by one of his closest followers (John 13:21) – this is the moment frozen in time by da Vinci.

Leonardo da Vinci started his famous painting, The Last Supper, in 1495. After several failed projects, it may have been taken on to merely “pay the bills”. Being 43 years old at the time, Leonardo was quickly falling behind what some would have assumed his potential dictated. He hoped that this work would turn things around and make his mark on the art world.

The Last Supper – Story of a Painting Experiment Gone Wrong
When the project was given to him, Leonardo da Vinci was new to painting frescos (murals). This was the largest work that he had attempted to that point (15 x 29 feet to be exact). Leonardo’s work is actually not a fresco, however. Knowing he needed time to work on the painting, he decided to experiment with beautiful pigments directly on the established plaster. Unlike traditional frescos, he decided not to mix the colors in with wet wall plaster directly. This choice meant that the painting hasn’t fared as well as it should; the paint was already beginning to flake by 1517, less than 20 years after completion!

The Last Supper – Leonardo Da Vinci’s Instant Success
Leonardo had a reputation of not finishing his work. With The Last Supper, he hoped to make a name for himself and truly create a masterpiece. This goal was quickly achieved. Unlike many famous paintings, da Vinci was able to see the importance of this work in his lifetime. When Leonardo completed his mural, it was instantly popular. Historian and author Ross King has spent years researching the mastermind that was Leonardo da Vinci.

“It was the most copied painting of the next century – not only in paint, but also in marble, wax and terracotta,” King shared. “Everyone wanted a version of it. Leonardo had finally created the ‘work of fame’ about which he dreamed.”

The Last Supper – Survival Of The Fittest
The Last Supper has been through its share of trauma. Twenty years after it’s completion, the painting began to chip and fade. The church was not motivated to preserve it. They cut a door into the painting directly through Christ’s feet which were painted in crucifix-style to foreshadow his death on the cross. The painting was no longer seen as an important piece of history.

During the Napoleonic Wars, troops were housed in the church itself. There they used the painting as target practice. Much of Jesus’ face sustained damage. As patrons of religious art began to value the painting again, preparations were made for World War 2.

Scaffolding and sandbags were placed against the painting in hopes of protecting it. These efforts proved valuable when a bomb landed close to the church, destroying it’s roof and many walls. But The Last Supper remained!

The Last Supper – It’s Not The Only One
Two other almost exact replicas exist of The Last Supper. Believed to be painted by Leonardo’s assistants, the copies are both in well-preserved states. Perhaps they chose to recreate the piece as a true fresco? One is held in the Royal Academy of Arts in London and the other decorates the Church of St. Ambrogio in Ponte Capriasca, Switzerland.

It is these copies that give us an idea of what da Vinci’s masterpiece would have looked like had it survived in better condition. There are many who choose to skip the lines and 15 minute viewing time to see The Last Supper in Switzerland instead of Italy!

The Last Supper – Symbolism of Jesus’ Feet
During the era of the Italian Renaissance, art was more than just a visual experience. The painters of the day were commissioned to create works by wealthy patrons and churches. Their works were designed to educate and influence those viewing the work. In the case of The Last Supper, da Vinci’s masterpiece was no exception.

While he chose to push the envelope with how he created the work, the importance of the “teachable moment” was not ignored. In The Last Supper, each disciple was carefully placed, their actions and expressions not left to chance. Leonardo placed each detail with great thought – Jesus’ originally had feet, intentionally placed in “crucifix style” to foreshadow that which was to come. Unfortunately, the importance of this part of the painting was no consideration when in 1652 a doorway was cut directly through the bottom central half of the painting, whereby eliminating a key element of foreshadowing!

The Last Supper – More Italian Than Jewish
In keeping with wanting to influence viewers of his work, da Vinci’s The Last Supper displays more Italian cultural aspects than Jewish ones. Relating his painting to the people of his era, da Vinci was careful to present a historical moment frozen in time that was easily understood by its viewers. The accepted religious traditions at the time were Catholic. Many of the elements in The Last Supper reinforce the cultural faith practices of the day.

Believing that the last supper shared by Jesus and the disciples was a Passover meal, there would have been strict dietary requirements. Round loaves of Italian bread would not have been on the menu. But there are even more obvious issues with the image many of us associate with the story of the biblical last supper.

If indeed it was a Passover meal, it would have been held at sunset. No sunlight pouring through what is obviously an Italian landscape and not Jerusalem. Understandably, da Vinci wanted to show all of the disciples seated at the table– but the disciples likely were lounged around a low U-shaped table. Even the robes worn by the disciples are painted in a very romanticized view of the era.

While it cannot be proved, da Vinci was probably not asked to paint an historically accurate last supper, but rather the essence of the event. A visual to encourage response and connection with it’s viewers. Rumour has it that da Vinci roamed the streets and even prisons of Milan to find the inspirations for the faces of the disciples. Thus creating essentially a beautiful Italian representation of this important moment in the lives of the disciples.

The Last Supper – Leonardo’s Painting, Or Not?
The painting that is viewed today, while mesmerizing, is actually the restored work of Dr. Pinin Brambilla Barcilon started in 1978. Only 20% of the original painting is assumed to have survived years of “fixing”. In 1770, Giuseppe Mazza repainted all but three of the faces and then in 1821, Stefano Barezzi, attempted to transfer the entire painting onto canvas. Understandably, both of these attempts seriously damaged the already fragile work.

Mauro Pellicioli in 1949 did the most extensive restoration to date by trying to reseal the painting with shellac. Enter Dr. Barcilon in the 1970’s, who had new technology to introduce – xray! Here’s what the painting looked like before she began her 20 year restoration project:

While there are some who dispute the need to have restored the painting again, or whether the x-ray technology used was the best method, it is interesting to note that many small details previously lost have been reclaimed. An orange here, a hand or cloth there. It was also decided that what could not be 100% confirmed as Leonardo’s work should instead be painted in beige. Thus, The Last Supper painting seen today is actually more about reading between the lines!

2/24/2026

The Miracle Star

Matthew 2:1-2
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men form the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

What was the star the wise men followed to find the infant Jesus? About this time of year, articles appear in magazines and newspapers offering many opinions. Some suggest that it was a comet. Others say it was the conjunction of two or more planets or stars. Do any of these theories offer possible explanations?

It’s not a very complicated task to evaluate these explanations. All you need is a Bible and a map of the Holy Land. Matthew 2:1 tells us that the wise men came from east of the Holy Land. Verses 2 and 9 further tell us that these men had seen the star indicating His birth in the eastern sky. Despite the pictures on Christmas cards, they had not followed the star to Jerusalem. Once they arrived in Jerusalem, we learn in Matthew 2:9 that the star they had seen in the eastern sky moved to lead them to the Christ Child.

Matthew clearly tells us that the wise men went from Jerusalem to Bethlehem in their search for the child. Bethlehem is due south of Jerusalem. He also tells us that the star moved over where the child was. That movement is very unlike a star. In fact, the movement of the star was even more unstar-like in that it directed them to a specific house!

These wise men from the East were accustomed to the sights of the night sky. They could tell the difference between a conjunction and a comet or a miracle star. This star was clearly created by God to announce the birth of the Savior of the world to the world He came to save!

2/23/2026

The Moon

Strictly speaking, the Moon does not orbit the Earth. Let me explain. The Moon is actually a large body compared to the Earth. It is the fifth largest natural satellite in the Solar System. Only three moons of Jupiter (Ganymede, Callisto and Io) and one moon of Saturn (Titan) are larger. In fact, it is the 14th largest object in the Solar System. Its volume is 2% that of the Earth, and its mass 1%. So it is a very significant size compared to the Earth. That means that the Moon doesn’t really orbit the Earth. Both Earth and Moon orbit a common center of gravity. However, that center of gravity is within the surface of the Earth.

This large size for the Moon, compared to its host planet, means that Earth and Moon affect each other greatly. The Earth’s gravitational pull on the Moon is such that it maintains a synchronous orbit, where its rotation on its axis occurs at the same rate as its orbital period. The practical result of this is that one side of the Moon is constantly facing the Earth, while the other constantly faces away.

The Moon’s gravity affects the Earth by pulling somewhat on the oceans, causing a bulge, which is what gives us our tides. These tidal forces also operate on the land but are not so noticeable.

God made the Moon special and caused it to be the faithful witness in the sky, “dying” for three days, then rising again.

2/22/2026

Biblical Locusts

When Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites leave Egypt, the eighth plague the Lord brought upon Egypt was locusts. Moses warned stubborn Pharaoh that the locusts would be so thick that no one would be able to see the ground (Ex. 10:4-6). Scripture also makes clear that there never had been, nor would there ever be again, such a great infestation.

We gain an appreciation for what the Egyptians had to endure because of the hard-heartedness of their leader when we look at modern plagues of locusts. A locust weighs only two grams, but it needs to eat its own weight in food every day. That doesn’t seem like much. However, a swarm of locusts can cover an area of 400 square miles with a density of 100 million to 200 million insects per square mile! A swarm this size can eat 80,000 tons of food per day. That’s enough to feed 40,000 people for a year.

Locusts can descend on an area without warning almost as fast as they did in Egypt. Desert locusts have been known to fly nonstop for up to 1,600 miles at a time. This knowledge doesn’t take away from the miraculous acts of God recorded in the Bible, but knowing a little about the power of a normal locust infestation helps us appreciate the plague of locusts on Egypt. As the Bible says, this locust infestation was unlike any other in history!

Exodus 10:4
“Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast.”

2/21/2026

The Salvation Of Billy Graham

No matter how insignificant we may feel, when we determine to proclaim Jesus, we make a difference.

Edward Kimball was a Sunday School teacher in Detroit in the 1850’s. When a young visitor told Kimball that he had no interest in knowing Jesus, he could not let it go. Kimball went to his workplace, purchased a shoe shine, and began to witness to him. Before he left, D.L. Moody received Jesus as his Savior.

Moody became a powerful evangelist who reached more than one hundred million people with the Gospel. Frederick Meyer’s congregation heard about the American revival and invited Moody to London. He preached three sermons, every one entitled, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.” Revival swept through the church, and Meyer’s ministry was transformed.

J. Wilbur Chapman came to Christ in Meyer’s church and eventually moved to Chicago where he led Billy Sunday to salvation. Sunday became a great preacher, and Mordecai Ham was saved at one of his meetings.

Ham went on to become one of the first tent revivalists. One night in North Carolina, under Ham’s large circus tent where people stood shoulder to shoulder, a young man came to check out the spectacle. That night in 1936, Billy Graham came to know Jesus.

Because one seemingly insignificant Sunday School teacher was serious about winning the lost, generations of people around the globe were impacted by Christ. What you do for Jesus matters. Go and tell! Win the lost!

2/20/2026

The Smallest Living Creature

A series of unlikely discoveries has scientists shaking their heads. They have discovered the smallest creatures ever seen three miles below the Earth’s surface, happily living where the temperatures go as high as 338 degrees.

The creatures were discovered as part of the Deep Subsurface Microbiology Program. This scientific effort is searching for subsurface microbes which might feed on and break down underground pollutants. At 20 to 150 nanometers in length, they seem too small to be alive. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. The average human hair is 10,000 nanometers across. Atoms average 3-5 nanometers in size. So a creature only four or five times the size of an atom doesn’t seem as though it should be alive. After all, a cell wall is five to seven nanometers thick. DNA alone is five to six nanometers thick. So, with just two cell walls and a little DNA, the smallest of these creatures – called “nanobes” – seem too small to be living creatures. For this reason scientists decided they can’t be alive. But after study, scientists have found that these creatures do indeed have DNA and are made of the elements of life – carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. And they do grow like other living things.

Nanobes are another demonstration that nothing is too hard for God, nor is there anywhere He is not. This is a comfort for us since God has spared nothing, including the life of His own Son, to bring about our salvation.

2/19/2026

The Temple Veil

In the book of Exodus, God told Moses that He wanted to dwell with, to tabernacle with the children of Israel. However, the sin issue had to be addressed. He commanded Moses to create a barrier, a veil, in the Tabernacle. He dwelt between the cherubim above the Ark of the Covenant behind the curtain in the Holy of Holies. The priests and the people lived on the other side of the curtain because if they approached God in their sin, His holiness would destroy them.

This was no ordinary curtain. God gave specific design instructions to Moses. Bible scholars say the veil was 50 feet wide and 30 feet high, made of fine linen with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. It was so heavy that it took 300 priests (150 to the right and 150 to the left) to pull it back for the high priest to enter through the middle. To raise and lower it, 150 oxen were used to pull it into place. It was comprised of 200 embroidered squares that, when put together, displayed beautiful gold cherubim.

What was the significance of the temple veil being torn in two when Jesus died?

During the lifetime of Jesus, the holy temple in Jerusalem was the center of Jewish religious life. The temple was the place where animal sacrifices were carried out and worship according to the Law of Moses was followed faithfully. Hebrews 9:1-9 tells us that in the temple a veil separated the Holy of Holies—the earthly dwelling place of God’s presence—from the rest of the temple where men dwelt. This signified that man was separated from God by sin (Isaiah 59:1-2). Only the high priest was permitted to pass beyond this veil once each year (Exodus 30:10; Hebrews 9:7) to enter into God’s presence for all of Israel and make atonement for their sins (Leviticus 16).

Solomon’s temple was 30 cubits high (1 Kings 6:2), but Herod had increased the height to 40 cubits, according to the writings of Josephus, a first century Jewish historian. There is uncertainty as to the exact measurement of a cubit, but it is safe to assume that this veil was somewhere near 60 feet high. An early Jewish tradition says that the veil was about four inches thick, but the Bible does not confirm that measurement. The book of Exodus teaches that this thick veil was fashioned from blue, purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.

The size and thickness of the veil make the events occurring at the moment of Jesus’ death on the cross so much more momentous. “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:50-51a).

So, what do we make of this? What significance does this torn veil have for us today? Above all, the tearing of the veil at the moment of Jesus’ death dramatically symbolized that His sacrifice, the shedding of His own blood, was a sufficient atonement for sins. It signified that now the way into the Holy of Holies was open for all people, for all time, both Jew and Gentile.

When Jesus died, the veil was torn, and God moved out of that place never again to dwell in a temple made with hands (Acts 17:24). God was through with that temple and its religious system, and the temple and Jerusalem were left “desolate” (destroyed by the Romans) in A.D. 70, just as Jesus prophesied in Luke 13:35. As long as the temple stood, it signified the continuation of the Old Covenant. Hebrews 9:8-9 refers to the age that was passing away as the new covenant was being established (Hebrews 8:13).

In a sense, the veil was symbolic of Christ Himself as the only way to the Father (John 14:6). This is indicated by the fact that the high priest had to enter the Holy of Holies through the veil. Now Christ is our superior High Priest, and as believers in His finished work, we partake of His better priesthood. We can now enter the Holy of Holies through Him. Hebrews 10:19-20 says, “we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body.” Here we see the image of Jesus’ flesh being torn for us just as He was tearing the veil for us.

The veil being torn from top to bottom is a fact of history. The profound significance of this event is explained in glorious detail in Hebrews. The things of the temple were shadows of things to come, and they all ultimately point us to Jesus Christ. He was the veil to the Holy of Holies, and through His death the faithful now have free access to God.

The veil in the temple was a constant reminder that sin renders humanity unfit for the presence of God. The fact that the sin offering was offered annually and countless other sacrifices repeated daily showed graphically that sin could not truly be atoned for or erased by mere animal sacrifices. Jesus Christ, through His death, has removed the barriers between God and man, and now we may approach Him with confidence and boldness (Hebrews 4:14-16).

2/18/2026

The Pyramids Of Ancient Egypt…

The pyramids of Giza reveal ancient man’s ingenuity. The Giza pyramid was built with 115,000 casing stones of polished white marble, each of them weighing 16-20 tons. A massive earthquake in 1301 A.D. loosened many, which were then removed to build Cairo. The joint thickness between these marble stones was a miniscule 0.020 inch. Inside the narrow gap was a type of cement which bonded the marble with greater strength than that of the marble itself. The composition of this cement is still a mystery to us. The largest blocks measured five feet high by 12 feet long by 8 feet deep, with an average variation of only 0.01 inch. This degree of exactness is difficult even today.

When we examine any Egyptian pyramid, we find that the four sides are equal in length within 0.1%. The pyramids were also build on absolutely level bases with no sagging. It has been estimated that it would take 100,000 men to construct a typical pyramid and they would need to set a new block every 20 minutes for the pyramid to be completed in 20 years. There are over 2 million quarried blocks in the Great Pyramid.

After the flood and the tower of Babel, mankind migrated across the globe and spread their technical knowledge. For instance, some of Noah’s relatives settled in Egypt (Mizraim, Noah’s grandson, is the father of the Egyptians). The first pyramids of ancient Egypt were the best, with the later ones becoming smaller and were put together with less care. Almost every ancient culture built pyramids, showing their common memories of Babel. Ancient man was not primitive like evolutionists will tell you. Man was made in the image of God and made highly intelligent from the beginning.

*For clarification, the pyramids are POST-flood structures. The sedimentary sandstone that the pyramids are built with contain millions of sea fossils from the flood.

2/17/2026

Faith Must Grow And Develop

Faith is belief with legs on it. We are to run with endurance. How does an Olympic runner develop his skill? There’s only one way: not by studying books about running, but by running. How are you going to develop your faith? You do this not just by listening to sermons on faith but by believing God. Find something you can believe God for and begin to believe Him. And you’ll see yourself growing in grace.

There is a book about how they built the first bridge over the Niagara River at Niagara Falls. It was very interesting: First, to cross the river, they tied a string to a kite and flew it to the far side. Then, to that string, they tied a cord and brought the cord back across to the first side by pulling the string. From that cord, they tied a rope and brought it back across to the far side again. Lastly, to that rope, they tied a chain and brought the chain back across to the first side. They tightened the chain to build a solid line, and as a result they were able to build a mighty bridge.

Growing in trusting God can start out like this: Begin by believing God for something. He can build our belief into mighty faith.

2/16/2026

The Ten Plagues Against Egypt

Modern skeptics of the Bible, including skeptics within the church, often deny the Bible’s description of God’s actions in the ten plagues against Egypt. However, our growing knowledge of ancient Egypt tells us that the plagues described in the Bible were exactly what God Himself said that they were. They were indeed the true God’s judgment against the false gods of Egypt.

When God turned the Nile water into blood, He was acting against Hapi, the Egyptian god, who was honored as the giver of life. When the river turned to blood, it was no longer able to give life.

When Egypt filled with frogs, God showed that the frog-headed goddess Hekt, responsible for creation and fertility, could not even control the fertility of frogs.

The massive death of Egypt’s cattle was an attack on Hathor. Hathor was the cow-headed goddess of love, one of the oldest Egyptian gods, and the one that was worshipped by Pharaoh.

The hail was God’s judgment against the sky goddess Nut who was also mother of the sun god. It was her job to protect the land from destruction that came from the heavens.

The three days of darkness showed the powerlessness of Amon-Re, one of Egypt’s main gods.

Finally, the death of Pharaoh’s firstborn and then Pharaoh, both considered living gods, left no doubt about the all-powerful nature of Israel’s true God.

Today, people still look to things in the creation to give them what only the true Magnificent Creator God can give them. Yet, it is the creation itself that bears witness to the only true God.

2/15/2026

A Fast Cat

Of 41 species of cats around the world, the cheetah is one of the most unusual. Unlike other great cats, the cheetah cannot roar, but it can purr like a house cat or emit high-pitched chirps. Beautiful in form, the cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal, reaching a speed of 40 miles per hour from a standstill within two seconds, and can momentarily reach speeds of 70 miles per hour. The cheetah’s claws are more like a dog’s than a cat’s because it is unable to retract them.

The Lord has truly given the cheetah a high-performance body. He has an unusually powerful heart, an oversized liver, extra large and strong arteries, and extra large nostrils for taking in great quantities of air. The cheetah also has hip and shoulder girdles that swivel on its spine. As it runs, the cheetah’s spine curves up and down as his legs bunch and then extend. When moving at high speed, the cheetah may only touch the ground once every 23 feet.

While most scientists believe that the cheetah evolved, the very oldest cheetah fossils show us an animal that is just about like the cheetahs we know today. This complete lack of evidence for evolution, plus the intelligent, specialized features of the cheetah, lead us to the conclusion that the cheetah is a special creation of God.

2/14/2026

The Welsh Revival

A little over one hundred years ago, a spiritual fervor swept across the country of Wales and ignited a passion for God in the hearts of over a hundred thousand people.

It was called the Welsh Revival, and while it was not the most well known revival of its time, it was one of the most dramatic and long-lasting and triggered revivals in several other countries.

And it all began in prayer. A young man named Evan Roberts cried out to the Lord in a prayer meeting, “Bend me! Bend me!” and God did. He and his friends asked God for 100,000 souls to come to salvation. On the night of Monday, October 31, 1904, Roberts brought this four-point message to his home church at Loughor, Wales:

1. Is there any sin in your past that you have not confessed to God? On your knees at once. Your past must be put away, and yourself cleansed.

2. Is there anything in your life that is doubtful—anything that you cannot decide whether it is good or evil? Away with it. There must not be a cloud between you and God.

3. Do what the Holy Spirit prompts you to do. Obey promptly, implicitly, and with unquestioning submission to God’s Spirit.

4. Publicly profess Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Roberts’ cry became, “Bend the church and save the world.” Once again, God answered his prayer. As a matter of public record, in 1904 sinful habits began to wane in Wales. Taverns closed, gambling businesses lost their trade, and brothels locked their doors. Families were reunited, broken friendships reconciled, profanity ceased, old debts were paid, stolen goods returned, forgiveness for past offenses flowed. Divisions in churches were healed, denominational and class barriers were broken down, feuds were forgotten, discord and enmity were replaced by peace and harmony and unity.

On that first night of Evan Roberts’ preaching ministry, sixteen young people confessed Christ. The next night seven turned to Christ, and the third night, twenty people received Jesus Christ as Lord. Attendance at meetings began to grow and spread to other towns and villages. Names of converts were sent to the newspapers. Ultimately 100,000 confessed faith in Jesus Christ. God used this young man to change the spiritual course of an entire generation in the country of Wales.

2/13/2026

The Fragile Rattlesnake

The rattlesnake is a dangerous creature, but surprisingly vulnerable. Believe it or not, rodents, rather than being easy victims of the rattlesnake, are one of the rattlesnake’s greatest enemies. Ground squirrels will sometimes attack rattlers, lunging and biting them. Ground squirrels can inflict wounds that become infected and cause the snake’s death. They often get away with this because their reflexes are so much faster than the snake’s.

Those who handle rattlesnakes must be careful of their bite. But they must be equally careful about how they pick the snake up because its neck is easily broken. If a rattler is trapped for only 20 minutes in the noonday sun, it can go into convulsions. And if it is placed on ground with too steep an incline, its heart, unable to pump uphill, may fail. In fact, simply handling a rattler may cause it to starve itself to death.

Scripture refers to the devil as the “serpent” many times. However, just as the rattlesnake is deadly yet vulnerable, so too is the devil – truly deadly, yet vulnerable. All who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior from sin, death and the devil have that victory through Christ, even though the devil would like us to forget that he is a beaten foe.

2/12/2026

Thirty Pieces Of Silver

God understands. He lovingly shepherded Israel, but when He asked them what He was worth, “they paid me thirty pieces of silver” (Zechariah 11:12). This was the price of a slave; what masters must be reimbursed should their slave be accidentally killed (Exodus 21:32). God was insulted to be offered the lowest possible value—look at “the handsome price at which they valued me!” He said sarcastically (Zechariah 11:13). And He had Zechariah throw the money away.

Jesus understands. He wasn’t merely betrayed by His friend; He was betrayed with contempt. The Jewish leaders despised Christ, so they offered Judas thirty pieces of silver—the lowest price you could put on a person—and he took it (Matthew 26:14–15; 27:9). Judas thought so little of Jesus he sold Him for nearly nothing.

If people undervalued Jesus, don’t be surprised when they undervalue you. Your value isn’t what others say. It’s not even what you say. It’s entirely and only what God says. He thinks you are worth dying for.

2/11/2026

Open Their Eyes That They May See
The Pew Research Center released a poll of thousands of Americans. When asked if there is more than one way to heaven, 80 percent of Americans said yes. Forty percent of those claimed to be church-going Christians. Eight out of 10, under the age of 25, claimed that multiple religions offered multiple ways to find eternal life. They also believe that neither Satan nor hell exists.

2/10/2026

Trees

Genesis uses only a few words and simple language to describe the creation of trees. That hardly seems fair, considering the importance, variety and complexity of the largest and longest-living things on Earth.

The largest Sequoias in northern California weigh more than six blue whales. The tallest Australian eucalyptus trees and redwoods tower as high as a 30-story building. Some of the Bristlecone pines in the American west are 4,000 years old.

Trees do more than provide us with building materials, food and medicine. Like other green plants, trees take the waste carbon dioxide produced by animals and humans and turns it into oxygen. As a bonus, trees produce sugar. The cellulose fiber we call wood is actually only thousands of sugar molecules linked into long chains. In recent years, scientists have also learned that trees communicate with each other. They cool the air and pump enough moisture into the air to transform a dry, desert-like climate. If it were not for the mycorrhiza fungi, trees would battle through their roots for control of moisture and soil resources. However, when this fungus is present in the root systems, trees will link roots with each other and share water and nutrients.

Scripture’s simple statement that God created trees expands into volumes of information as we learn more about them. This is how science done in faith – that is, as our search for knowledge about what God has made – serves to glorify our Creator!

2/9/2026

Giving Back To The Lord

Have you ever noticed that the more skilled you are at something, the more you enjoy it? For example, when an orchestra plays a masterpiece, an accomplished musician will likely derive greater pleasure from listening than would a person with an untrained ear. You might be surprised to learn the same is true of giving.

God has many reasons for us to give. First, returning a portion of our wealth to the Lord acknowledges that everything actually belongs to Him (Psalm 50:10). Second, God tells us to give, as He has given to us (Deuteronomy 16:17). Third, contributing to a cause or helping another person is kingdom work, which brings us deep joy. Fourth, our offerings are an opportunity for God to reveal His character. As we demonstrate generosity, He faithfully provides for our needs and blesses us abundantly (2 Corinthians 9:8).

Giving involves more than our money. God has also blessed us with talents, time, and resources. It’s important to rely on the Holy Spirit’s guidance to know what and how much we should give as well as to whom we should give it.

Remember, the Lord is continuously blessing us—with salvation, comfort, encouragement, and countless other good things. We should give back, not out of obligation but with a heart of gratitude and joy (2 Corinthians 9:7).

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