And speaking of Races...

In the past 2 days we have watched a great 2 part video which has shown us the origin of races.

But, still some folks, having not seen this video, might ask you: “What about interracial marriage. Doesn’t the Bible say this is wrong?”


For an answer to that question, this time in written form, and with some more great information included about the origin of races, HERE’S THE LINK

Where did the Races come from? (Part 2)

Yesterday we saw part 1 of the Answers In Genesis video about the Origin of Races.

Perhaps you jumped ahead and listened to part 2 at the same time. And if you did, Great. You can skip today and return tomorrow for an important follow up application to this question.

But, if you only watched Part 1 and are now ready for Part 1, then, again, HERE’S THE LINK.

Where did the Races come from? (Part 1)

Awhile ago (on January 11, 2010) we pondered on the age old question: “Where did Cain get his wife?”

And there is another question which is equally as puzzling to many folks.

That question is, of course, “Where did the races come from?”

Well, good news! There is an answer to that question also!

Want to know?

There is a video (in 2 parts, each about 15 minutes in length) from Answers in Genesis with the answer. You can watch both parts today if you like. But, since you might not have that much time, we will link you to part 1 today and part 2 tomorrow.

So , to Watch Part 1, HERE’S THE LINK

Billions of People in Thousands of Years?

Perhaps you have wondered about the population of the earth. We keep hearing that there are too many people and that there is no room for more.

But then we hear that all the people of the world could be put shoulder to shoulder in Jacksonville Florida or they could be given a house and small plot of land and all become residents of Texas.

People with the "Evolutionary world view glasses" tell those with the “Young Earth of about 6000 years Glasses” that there is no way that we could have 6 1/2 to 7 billion people on earth in only 6000 years.

But the ‘Young Earth Glasses’ folks say, “if the earth is millions or billions of years old and people have been present for 50,000 or more years, how many people would there be now?”

So what is the truth? Do the population figures of today point to a young earth of about 6000 years or to an old earth origin?

Monty White, Ph.D has written an excellent and must read answer to this question. HERE’S THE LINK.

Read the Bible in a Year Plan

Yesterday we posted an entry about Jan 25 being the ‘most depressing day of the year’ (according to the Weather Channel folks). One of their reasons for so declaring the day ‘most depressing’ was that by Jan 25, most people had stopped with their various resolutions.

And speaking of resolutions, on January 3 of this year we encouraged you to Read the Bible through in 2010.

Perhaps you started then but now have quit. Or perhaps you never started at all.

But, regardless of which ‘category’ you fit, It is NOT too late to resume or to start.

There are many ‘read the Bible through in a year’ plans out there.

Some folks just start at Genesis 1 and read through the end of the Bible (Rev. 22). That is a wonderful plan. And you should do it that way every now and then.

Every now and then? What do you mean? you ask.

Well, guess what, a person really should read the Bible entirely through at least one time EVERY year!

One Time EVERY year !!! ? Why?

Because every time your read the Bible through, you see things that you never saw before. You will see things that God wants you to know relative to whatever life experience you are currently going through.

For example, if you have just been saved, you will see verses that help you grow in your new-found faith and life. If you have just taken a new job, or started school, you will find verses popping out that will help you in your work, education, etc. If you have just been married, or have gone through a traumatic event in your life (death of a loved one, etc), you will find verses that give you wisdom, comfort, etc.

You will be amazed to find that each time you read the Bible through that you see concepts, helps, thoughts, etc. that you had never noticed before.

So, you would be wise to make it a goal for the rest of your life to read the Bible through in its entirety at least once (and preferably more than once) each year!

So. as we mentioned, you can either start at Genesis 1 and read straight through to Rev. 22.

Or, you might from time to time want to try some ‘more complicated’ plans, such as reading from various chapters of various books on each day.

One very popular ‘more complicated plan’ method that many people have used for years is the one by Rev. R. M. M'Cheyne. HERE’S THE LINK

Spurgeon on Depression

Yesterday while watching the Weather Channel to see what was happening around the country and world weather wise, they made an interesting observation.

According to the folks at the Weather Channel, it seems that January 25 is the ‘most depressing day of the year’ !

They said that it is the most depressing day for several reasons.

First, it is one month after the fun and festivities of the Christmas holiday.

Secondly, most folks have stopped doing their New Year’s Resolutions so are feeling bad about failing in their resolves.

And then, of course, Jan 25 is in the dead of winter with its short gray gloomy days of snow, rain, or whatever.

Well, that is the secular view of Jan 25, i.e. that it is the most depressing day of the year.

But, good news, Charles Haddon Spurgeon has something to say about Depression. HERE’S THE LINK

Ten - Four Ministries

While we are ‘into’ suggesting various sites that have helpful Ministries, here is another one you will want to check out.

I got this link from a person who is training to be a Reserve Law Enforcement Officer.

Apparently this is a site for Police and other Law Enforcement folks who are Believers who want to grow in their faith and share their faith with others when the opportunity arises.

As it says on the website, their purpose is “Providing practical and spiritual support to the Law Enforcement Community”

If you know of any folks in the Law Enforcement Community, be sure to let them know about this site.

In the meantime, you need to check it out and keep it and the many Christian Law Enforcement folks in your prayers. HERE’S THE LINK.

Care Calendar

The other day (Monday Jan 18) we told you about Caring Bridge, a site to help folks with illnesses, surgeries, etc. to stay in contact with family, friends, and ‘concerned strangers’.

And, guess what. There is another site which also is a great help, this time to help folks coordinate meals for family or friends who are overwhelmed with taking care of a sick loved one, after the birth of a new child, who is a shut in, or whatever the need.

As indicated on the home page of the Care Calendar site: “CareCalendar is a web based system to organize meals and other help for families during a time of illness or life changing event, such as the birth of a baby or death of a family member. CareCalendar can also be used for long term situations, including homebound and caregiver respite care needs.”

This is another ministry which provides a wonderful and much needed service.

Even though you might not need it at this exact moment, you do need to know about it.

So, go to the site and ‘read all about it’. HERE’S THE LINK

Mount Moran in the Tetons

Recently I attended a wedding. The ‘newly weds’ for their honeymoon were reported to have gone to the Tetons in Wyoming.

Now, the Tetons are beautiful mountains and that area, in my estimation, is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. But, visiting them near the end of January would not be my idea of fun for, as you know, I am not a big fan of snow and ice. Oh, well, I guess the honeymooners are.

But, laying that aside. There is something else that is very important about the Tetons.

Specifically, there is something important about Mount Moran, which is one of the mountains in the Teton range.

Which mountain is Mount Moran?, you ask. Well, it is the beautiful mountain that has the familiar and distinctive ‘skillet glacier’. In fact, it is the mountain that most folks usually think of (at least I do) when they think of the Tetons. And, it is the mountain pictured today on the blog.

But it is more than just an awesomely beautiful mountain. When you look at it closely, it has some very interesting and important features.

What are these features and why are they important?

Well, this interesting article reveals how Mount Moran gives us insights into the Creation of the world and the later Flood of Noah! Wow. HERE’S THE LINK

Dinosaur tracks

Dinosaurs are fascinating, especially to children who seem to really love to read about them, look at their pictures, and play with toys of replicas of them.

Yesterday we discovered what really happened to the dinosaurs -- i.e. most of them were killed in the Flood of Noah (all except those on the Ark with Noah and any that were aquatic in nature, such as the ancestors of ? Nessie and could ‘swim out’ the flood.)

Did you know that there are millions of dinosaur tracks that have been found in rocks all over the world?

Dinosaur tracks in rocks ! Yes!

In fact, the picture for the blog today shows tracks of the Therapod Dinosaur in rocks in Utah.

So, how did that and other tracks in rocks happen and do these tracks tell us anything about when the dinosaurs lived and how they really died?

And, further, do these tracks in rocks tell us anything about the Flood of Noah?

Well, yes.

There is an easy to read article that has a clear explanation of these questions and more. HERE’S THE LINK

What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs?

Dinosaurs! Such interesting creatures!

But why do we not see them today? Where did they go? Are any still around?

According to those with the “evolutionary old earth glasses”, dinosaurs lived millions and millions of years ago and were destroyed by some humongous event such as an asteroid impact !!!

Other ‘old earthers’ think dinosaurs evolved into birds !

Yes, folks really believe such things. But they have no proof that these explanations are valid.

So what really happened to the dinosaurs, you ask?

Well, this is another question that is answered in “The New Answers Book” published by the Answers In Genesis Ministry.

This is definitely ‘must reading’ and very fascinating. HERE’S THE LINK

Did Jesus Say He Created in 6 Days?

Hmmm. Interesting Question.

Did Jesus Say He Created in 6 Days?

Well, a book from AIG, titled “The New Answers Book” addresses that question in Chapter 8.

I think you will find the answer most interesting. HERE’S THE LINK
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A Heads Up for Pet Lovers and Owners

As pet lovers know, some foods, plants, and other things are very dangerous for their pets and can cause serious illness or even death.

For example, Antifreeze is ingested by cats and dogs because they love the sweet taste. But, alas, then they usually die.

And, most pet owners know that several tasty things including chocolate are a ‘no no’ for their dogs and cats.

But most pet owners are not aware that many, seemingly harmless, things are equally as poisonous. For example, Grapes, Raisins, and Xylitol.

Wow! Who would have thought !

Yes, your pet will likely try to ‘mooch’ when you are eating these tasty ‘people foods’ but you need to know about these and other hazardous things which can be poisons to your pet.

A recent article on the internet Lists the Top 10 Pet Poisons of 2009. HERE’S THE LINK

Caring Bridge: Social Networking for Sick Loved Ones

Yesterday we mentioned the Caring Bridge website where we are following the saga of Baby Christopher and his needed Heart Transplant.

What is Caring Bridge?

Well, it is a wonderful website that provides Social Networking for families and friends so that everyone can keep up with the events and happenings that are occurring in the life of the ‘sick one’, young or old.

Instead of making endless phone calls or sending countless emails, a person can post entries, pictures, updates, etc. to inform family, friends, and even friends of friends (folks you may never have even heard of but who were led to the site by a friend of a friend.) And, in turn, the ‘readers’ can post comments, prayers, etc. WOW. Great!

Now that I have heard of this excellent site, I am becoming aware of more and more people who have pages on this site. A friend in Kentucky has a cousin in Mississippi with a page (he needs surgery for an ear defect). Another friend in California told me of a friend who has a page (a 10 year old with serious cancer). And on and on it goes.

Probably you have also heard of Caring Bridge. Perhaps I am the ‘last to know’ (yes, I know, I need to ‘get out more’).

But, if you have not yet become acquainted with Caring Bridge, or if you have heard but want to know more, then you need to go to the main page of their website and read about it. HERE’S THE LINK.

He Got it! The Heart has arrived !

Prayers have been answered! A big thanks to all of you who prayed and cared!

What is all of this about? you ask?

Well, as you will recall, at the end of November 2009, Baby Christopher was born. He is the son of a Sports Writer in Oregon.

Christopher was born with severe Cardiac and Vascular problems. Long story short and bottom line is that within a couple of days after birth, it became apparent that intervening and temporizing surgery would not ‘work’. A Cardiac Transplant was urgently needed or else....

He was transferred in a Medical Jet shown in the picture above. Somewhere in that maze of equipment is Baby Christopher.

After waiting for almost 6 weeks, a donor heart was obtained. And another jet brought the donor heart, leaving behind a family who surely was grieving over the loss of their precious baby. But, in their grief, they gave the gift of LIFE to Baby Christopher. Pray for the family, friends, and relatives of the donor baby.

There is a wonderful website, Caring Bridge, which allows folks to follow the events experienced during illnesses, surgeries, etc. I was following the saga of Baby Christopher via that site.

Yesterday (Jan 16, 2010) Baby Christopher received the gift of LIFE. He was given a new heart!

Assuming that you would like to ‘experience the day’ with the family through the updates that were posted, I did a ‘cut and paste’ of the events and put them on a sub page for this blog. HERE’S THE LINK.

Longest Solar Eclipse for 1000 years

Yesterday, January 15, 2010 there was a total solar eclipse.


This eclipse lasted for 11 minutes and 8 seconds.

There will not be another one that lasts this long or longer until Dec. 23, 3043. Yes, you read that correctly, the year 3 0 4 3.

Total eclipses occur about 66 times every hundred years. So they are rare but not all that rare. But, for one to last this long is very unusual.

Did you see it? Well, if you were in North or South America on January 15 you did not get to see it.

Why?

Because, this eclipse was visible only on ‘the other side’ of the world. Sigh.

But, all is not lost, as there is a good article telling about it and a video showing pictures of how it looked at many of the locations where it was seen. HERE’S THE LINK.

Avatar blues and depression

As you know, there is a new blockbuster movie out there.

Avatar

I have not seen this movie and have no intention of seeing it.

Furthermore, I do NOT suggest that you see it either.

But many folks who have seen the movie, Avatar, are now depressed. Some are even suicidal!

Why?

Apparently they become so caught up in the 3D experience of life on an another world that when the movie ends, they want to continue being in that world.

They need to know about heaven.

To read an article that tells about this response to the movie, Avatar. HERE’S THE LINK.

What Happens When You Die?

On January 12, as you recall, there was a 7.0 earthquake in Haiti and now we are reading that as many as 500,000 may be dead !

Oh, no! Unbelievable!

And, of course, this doesn’t include those who are still alive but injured, many severely injured. And, further, it has been reported that the Red Cross has already run out of medical supplies.

This is truly a disaster of, as is often said, ‘Biblical proportions’

This tragedy is surely causing many folks to think again about ‘death’ and about their personal frailty.

So, what happens when a person dies?

We have a short but informative Bible Study on our BibleStudies.Net website that answers that question. You can read it online. But, better still, print it out, get your colored pencils and do the study off line. HERE’S THE LINK

7.0 Earthquake in Haiti

Possibly you were also sitting at your evening meal on Tuesday Jan 12, 2010, watching TV when suddenly they broke programming with a News Flash.

What is it this time, you wondered.

And then you heard and saw the news of a 7.0 earthquake!

The earthquake hit about 5 pm EST with the center located only about 10 miles west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010.

It is said to be the worse earthquake there in 200 years.

Complete devastation is being reported, the TV announcer said. A hospital is said to have collapsed. Buildings are destroyed. Thousands may be dead!

Oh, No.

To read more details, HERE’S A LINK and HERE’S ANOTHER LINK.

The US Gov. also has a website which keeps track of earthquakes around the world. You may have frequented this page before. But, if not, you need to know about it. It is, of course, reporting this earthquake. HERE’S THE LINK

So, where do you live?

The entry for today initially was going to have a link to a really weird house but, alas, on the page with the link were a lot of advertisements, some of which are wayyyyyyy beyond suitable for posting on any website, much less this one. Sigh. Soooo sad.

Then after you had finished viewing the ‘weird house’, we were going to let you see another house. It is not weird but is realllllllly isolated in a very beautiful location in Iceland!

I wonder what they use for electricity? Do they have internet access? How about cable? How far to the nearest Walmart? Do they homeschool?

Well, of course, I am being facetious about their ‘necessities’ of life (as most folks equate them) but, wow, look at their location.

And, speaking of location, those of you with the ‘young earth glasses’ will surely appreciate and contemplate the geological features. Wow.

So, with that said, to see the second (and now the only) entry for today, HERE’S THE LINK.

Where did Cain get his wife?

Those of you who are following a “Read the Bible through in a Year’ plan, probably wondered a few days ago when you read about Cain and his wife.

You thought, no doubt, “Where did Cain get his wife?”

And likely those of you who are not following the Bible reading plan have also wondered about that at some time also.

Well, that is a good question. And guess what. There IS an answer.

Hopefully you will not pass out (as the guy did in the blurred cartoon above) when you (like he) discover that there Is an answer to this question. And sorry about the blurred picture. It got that way when I tried to enlarge it. Sigh. Oh well.

But, since you can't read the words in that cartoon, this is what it says:

The guy holding the Bible is saying: “And that’s the answer to where Cain got his wife. Uh...Sir?”

And the caption under the cartoon reads: "Some people just never expect to get the answer to THAT question!"

Well, most people do NOT know the answer to this question. But you can!

So, to find out where Cain got his wife, HERE’S THE LINK

Writing in the days of King David

You will recall that awhile back we posted a link related to this picture of David’s Palace. It seems a portion of it has been found and is being excavated.

Well, guess what, another Archeological discovery taking us back to the time of King David has been found and is also validating the Bible.

What is it this time you ask?

Well, apparently an inscription has been found which confirms that the writing of the Bible began well before the date proposed by ‘scholars’.

In fact, they say that this inscription dates back to the time of King David, which is 4 centuries earlier than they had previously thought.

Hmmmm. Will wonders never cease. /sarcasm off.

Actually the writing of the Bible began long before the date they are even now suggesting. But, this is a ‘start’.

To read about this new Archaeological find, HERE’S THE LINK.

Under Tebow’s eyes

Doubtless you have heard of Tim Tebow, Heisman winner and University of Florida Quarterback. And, if you have watched him play, you noticed that he had scripture references painted in the eye black beneath his eyes.

I had assumed he had the same scripture each week. But, no. Each week had a different passage.

If you are wondering what the specific passages were, then do we have good news for you. A Florida Newspaper has documented with pictures the scriptures he painted for all 13 games of the just completed (2009) season. HERE’S THE LINK

Noah’s Ark

Yesterday we considered the Flood account as recorded in Genesis 6:9 - 9:18. We even provided a link to the actual Scriptural account in Genesis but you might not have gone to it.

If you did not access that link, you missed out on a happy surprise at the end of the passage.

What did you miss? you ask.

Well, for one thing, we posted the above blog picture of the replica of Noah’s Ark which is in the Answers In Genesis Museum in Ky.

And, in addition, we gave a link to some really interesting facts and discussions about the Ark in general and other interesting related topics, pictures, etc.

If you missed those things, here is another chance to learn some really fascinating things about Noah’s Ark and to see a larger view of the replica of the ark which is probably very close to what it really looked like. HERE’S THE LINK

Will the Real Flood Account please stand up

As you know, there are many flood stories ‘out there’ in history. n fact, there are flood stories and legends from diverse locations all around the world.

Alas, many folks want to discount the Biblical account but readily and eagerly accept the other accounts.

For example, a recent article on the guardian.co.uk website touted the discovery of a flood legend which was described on a clay tablet from Babylon. In that account, the Ark was round !

Ask yourself: “Self, Why is it that folks refuse to accept the Biblical account but are so eager to jump on the other accounts and say that they are the true story and that the Biblical account is the corrupted version?”

You are surely familiar with the real account, the Biblical account. But, if you aren’t, you can read it HERE.

Now, knowing the true account that you just read (or recalled) in Genesis, compare it with this latest ‘find’.

In fact, it would be helpful if you would get out a sheet of blank paper and in one column list the so called ‘facts’ written on the clay tablet from Babylon (such as ‘ark is round’, etc). Then read the Genesis account (Genesis 6:9 - 9:18) and in a second column, list the various facts such as the dimensions of the ark (which sure do not sound like a description of a round structure, etc).

I think you will find the discrepancies to be significant.

But you will also find some similarities. What do you make of that? Could it be that the same flood event is being described but one is more accurate than the other?

Could the similarities be because one is the true account while the other (in this case the clay tablet account) is not the ‘real’ one even though the folks in this news article wearing their “secular world view glasses” think that the clay tablet account is the true one?.

Anyway, to read the latest ‘candidate’ for the original ‘flood account’, HERE’S THE LINK .... and be sure to read all the way to the end as the very last sentence is very strange. Hmmmm.

Was Adam a Caveman?

For the past couple of days, if you have been doing your Daily Bible Readings in Genesis and reading this Blog, you have been thinking about the Origins of Nations.

While surfing the net looking for a picture to post for yesterday’s blog entry (because I was unable to use the AIG picture. Why? Because it was in .gif format and google blogs have to have .jpg images and do not allow .gif) ...

Anyway, while looking for a .jpg picture, I found a new to me but very interesting website that had a picture of The Table of Nations in .jpg. So now you know the origin of yesterday’s blog picture (and of today’s also).

But, it also had a very interesting article about Adam.

Since Adam obviously was the forerunner of us all and thus ultimately to all the folks in post flood nations, the topic of the article caught my eye. It not only addresses that question (Was Adam a Caveman?) but also has much more very interesting information that I know you will want to read.

So, to find out if Adam was a caveman and more, HERE’S THE LINK

Josephus and Genesis chapter 10

If you are following the Daily Bible Readings in the Net Bible suggestion, yesterday you read Genesis 10:1 - 11:32.

As you read those chapters, you noticed that this section of Daily Bible Reading included the “Table of Nations”.

And, though at first glance you might have thought it to be a boring chapter. In reality it is not!

Indeed, this is a key chapter in that it is a wonderful summary of how, where, when, and why many of the nations we see today originated.

Many books, articles, and papers have been written about the ‘Table of Nations’. Many, if not most of them, go back to or reference the book, ‘The Antiquity of the Jews’ by Josephus.

The article we will link to today refers to Josephus and his book and gives succinct but important historical information about Josephus. But that is just the icing on the cake. The main point of the article is about the Table of Nations.

I think you will find this most interesting, informative, and instructive. HERE’S THE LINK.

The Net Bible

Yesterday we told you about the “Net Bible” and suggested you might want to use it for your Daily Bible Reading Resolution as you read the Bible through in a year.

We also mentioned that this was a new Bible to us but that we had read the list of folks who endorsed it and found several names that gave it a stamp of credibility. We also checked with a good friend who is a Bible Scholar who also had good things to say about the organization which is behind it.

So, with that said, you might want to consider downloading this Bible (it is a free Download) to your computer (IF you have a Windows computer, that is.)

Alas, If you have a Mac or Linux based computer, you are going to have to do your reading and researching On Line as apparently the Net Bible is mainly a Windows based Download. Oh well.

For those of you who have Macs or Linux computers, or if you don’t want to download the Bible, all is not lost, as there is an online version and the aids and helps are on line and easy to use. They include such things as a Study Dictionary, Study Maps, Word Studies, Sermon Illustrations, and etc.

For folks who like to have a ‘hard copy’, a Bible that you can hold in your hands, they also have those which you can purchase. The blog picture for today shows some of those.

Anyway, to read more about the Net Bible, HERE’S A LINK

And to read about the Ministry behind it and the many other resources available HERE’S THE LINK

Daily Bible Reading

Ok. Yesterday you probably started a New Year’s Resolutions list.

And on that list you probably had an entry that said something to the effect that you will read and study your Bible more in 2010.

Good!

And to help you with this, in addition to your regular Bible (KJV, NKJV, NASB, or whatever), there is another version ‘out there’ on the Internet that you might want to consider. It is called the Net Bible.

Having only recently heard about the Net Bible, I have not read this Version in its entirety but only portions of it. But from the limited reading of it that I have done since hearing about it, and reading the names of some of the folks who have endorsed it, and after checking with a friend who is quite a Bible Scholar, it looks like it has merit.

It seems to have 3 Categories for reading the Bible through in a year: 1. Straight through from Genesis to Revelation 2. Straight through with comments by Rev M’Chyene and 3. New Testament Psalms and Proverbs in a year.

You might want to consider using this for your “Read the Bible Through in a Year” Resolution.

HERE’S THE LINK

New Year’s Resolutions ????

Are you kidding? Resolutions? Do folks still make them?

Yes, I know, when younger I, too, would make a lonnnnng list of resolutions -- such as: go on a diet, exercise more, read the Bible more, etc. etc. etc.

But, as you have probably noticed when you did likewise, that after a few days, weeks, or months (depending on the resolution), they all seemed to drop away.

Your list got lost. The motivation was gone. The weight had crept back up, the fee to join the exercise club was wasted (well, I never joined an exercise club but many folks do), the daily walking around the block ended, and .... well, you get the idea.

So, the question for today is: are you going to make any resolutions for 2010?

If you are, do it NOW.

And, if not, Why Not?

And as you make those resolutions, remember:

“We have only one life,
it will soon be past,
only what is done for God will last.”

The Times Square Ball

Well, it is that time of the year again --The time when the old year ends and a new year begins.

And, as this is being uploaded to the web, the famous Times Square New Year’s Eve ball has just dropped. And 2010 has begun !

Some people ignored the event and just slept through it.

BUT

Many folks saw the new year “in” while in prayer.

Others celebrate the coming of the new year in crazed and drunken parties.

Still others will be at home alone or with family or friends or at calmer parties but stop to watch via TV the Ball Drop in Times Square.

And, each year that ball gets larger, more ornate, and more expensive.

This year is no exception.

As you probably know, the Ball is made of (gasp) Waterford Crystal !

To find out how it is made, what is new about it this year, and more, HERE’S THE LINK