The “cock crow” or “crowing of the rooster” is an idiom in scripture, and well may not be speaking of a literal rooster. The Talmud, The Mishnah, and Historian Josephus, all mention that chickens were not allowed in Jerusalem at the time. Historically there were priests who forbid anyone in Jerusalem from having chickens, to avoid dirty and wandering birds from desecrating The Temple, or worse yet, The Holy of Holies. The “crowing of the rooster” refers to a moment of time, beginning at 3 a.m. in the morning. Let’s look in the Bible to see its definition. Mark 13:35, (NASB), "Therefore, be on the alert-- for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning.” Every morning Roman troops were summoned from their barracks at the Tower of Antonia, situated at the northwest corner of the Temple in Jerusalem. They were summoned at the “cock crow”, the third watch of the night, at 3 a.m. in the morning. One trumpet blast summoned them. A second blast dismissed them. The U.S. military does the same, at their chosen time. It’s called “Reveille”. One horn sounds to gather the troops. A second to dispatch troops. The word for trumpet call in Latin is “gullicinium” which means, “cock crow”. The Romans used “gallicinium”, “conticinium”, and “diluculum” for “cock crow”, “end of cock crow”, and “dawn”, respectively. This may also speak to why the Gospels don’t all agree on how many times the “rooster crowed”. Matthew, Luke, and John, all say the cock crowed, then Peter denied our Lord for the third time. But Mark’s Gospel states that before the cock crows twice, Peter would deny our Lord three times. Early church father’s attest that Mark had been a scribe for Peter, therefore the detail is no surprise. We can deduce that Matthew, Luke, and John, were mentioning the cock crow as a single event. However, they had in mind the second “crowing of the rooster” or the second trumpet. Mark’s Gospel specifically mentions that the cock crowed twice, two trumpets, and it would be after the second trump that Peter denied our Lord for the third time.

Do we really understand the love and compassion of Christ? The tax collectors in Jesus’ day were literally called "Pariah dogs." They were considered as dogs who foraged off of the town dump. They were the lowest of all cheats, crooks, liars, and hated by all men. The tax collector in Jesus’ day was demanded to charge whatever the fee was that was owed, BUT in addition to that, whatever extra they could cheat you out of, was their own to keep. They were ruthless and the most hated of all men. Read any of the Gospels where it says that Jesus first saw Matthew, and they all will say that Jesus saw a tax collector. They saw a refuse eating pariah dog!! The chief of sinful men! Only Matthew, writing after the fact, and knowing the surpassing love of Christ wrote something different in his Gospel! Matthew wrote, "As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man," (Matthew 9:9). A MAN??? Yes, Jesus saw a man! The sinners of that day, and this day as well, very much needed someone like Matthew. They needed a pariah dog so they could look at him and say they were so much better than this lowly scum tax collector. Only Jesus, who needed no one to look at with contempt, was free to look in Matthew's eyes with the love of God and see A MAN.

Isaiah 9:6 - The church needs clarity on this verse, to show that Jesus is not the Father. In the ancient languages of Hebrew and Aramaic, if you say someone is "the Father of Strength", that means they are strong. If you say someone is the "Father of Knowledge", you are saying they are wise. If you say Jesus is The Father of Eternity, you are saying Jesus possesses eternity and He Himself is eternal. We even do this today. Augustine is known as "The Father of Theology", and Athanasius is known as "The Father of Orthodoxy." Augustine because of his tenacious effect on modern theology in the 4th century. Athanasius because of his staunch defense of the deity of Christ at the 325 A.D. Council of Nicea. "Everlasting Father" is an idiom describing Christ's relationship to time. Christ/God is The Father of Eternity. Isaiah can't be describing Christ's relationship to Himself, He obviously cannot be His own Father. Finally, you never base an entire doctrine on an isolated verse of scripture. Any verse that may appear ambiguous, must, must, must be interpreted with the numerous verses that are clear. Throughout the Bible we see that there is only one God. We also see that The Father is God, Jesus is God, and The Holy Spirit is God. And we see that The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are eternally distinct. Clearly, within The Godhead there are three separate Persons in a love relationship together for all of time. Isaiah 9:6, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Is the King James Bible the only acceptable translation? Is the KJV really an “Autogragh”. An “autograph” or “the autographa”, is the term for God’s original dictation of the books of the Bible. The church unanimously holds that the “Autographa” alone is authoritative, inerrant, and without blemish. Today’s versions like the KJV, the NIV, the NASB, or the NKJV are all comprised from copies, of copies, of copies of manuscripts, and those manuscripts all have (minor) mistakes. The errors are in punctuation, spelling, unwarranted additions, etc. Despite these errors, the substance of the Bible has not been compromised. God has preserved His word! Still, no translation of the Bible is an “Autograph”. The manuscript errors can easily be corrected; here’s how it’s done. Though each manuscript has errors, each copyist made a different error than other copyists. By comparing manuscript to manuscript, we can get back to what the “Autograph” said. This is done through the science of textual criticism. So how do we classify the KJV?” ALL Bible versions come from the available manuscripts. There are thousands of biblical manuscripts; recorded on papyri, uncials, miniscules, etc. The problem in thinking the KJV is the perfect bible (an Autograph), and others not, stems partly from the fact that the only bible available for years was the KJV. When modern Bibles appeared, people cried “foul”, not knowing that hundreds more manuscripts have been unearthed since the making of the KJV in the 7th century. The discovery of more ancient manuscripts gave scholars a chance to see how acccurate the KJV of the 17th Century was. The Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) were discovered in 1947, dating back to 4 B.C. The manuscripts (Masoretic text) that were considered for the KJV dated only to 5 A.D. The DSS were more than 1000 years older, therefore closer to the original writings! In this discovery (and others), though the KJV proved to have been copied with concise precision, it was discovered that some minor mistakes had crept in, and in cases scribes and copyists added verses that were not in earlier manuscripts. A good example is the “Comma Johanneum” (1 John 5:7). Though this verse is consistent with what the bible teaches, it is an addition and not part of any earlier manuscript. Mark 16:18, is another that is not in earlier manuscripts and has been added. When newer bible versions came out (NIV, NKJV), they relegated (some of) these verses to the footnotes, noting that they were not in earlier manuscripts. The KJV is a great Bible, yet the newer translations are based on more manuscript evidence. To some, the Elizabethan English of the KJV has devolved slightly out of style with the evolution of language. Words that were once denotative, now are connotative. Personally, I do memorize from the KJV and the NKJV. I study and read from the NKJV.

So what about those hypocrites? We see others as hypocrites, but have we ever stopped to look at ourselves? A hypocrite can be anyone who says one thing, but does something other than what they say. We have all played that part before, and it’s very easy to fall into this sin again. We all stand as equals before the cross. We are all sinners. No one towers over the other. I find it true in ministry that if we commit acts of sin, we are sometimes labeled, “hypocrites”. It’s good to make correct judgments, and not get bitter, so it helps if we remember, “we are all sinful”. We need to forgive those in ministry, for we know all are sinners. What we can do to get back on God’s straight and narrow is to ask for His forgiveness (1 John 1:9, Psalm 32:5, Proverbs 28:13), then seek God’s Spirit to live through us and show us His way. May The Lord God bless you today, and give you strength to face all of life’s challenges. May you know who you are, and Whose you are. You are God’s Property, and God don’t make no junk, Got it!

The Bible was written over a period of sixteen hundred years, by forty different authors, on different continents, in three different languages, and on hundreds of subjects yet no other holy book can approach the divine fingerprints that lay upon the Bible. When it comes to the world's holy books; they can all be wrong, but they cannot all be right! Both The Quran and The Book of Mormon are plagued with information that does not correspond to reality. The Bible is different in that it is historical and evidential. They say the Bible is the world's best seller, and that's where I say, "The Bible is also man's best purchase!" While many of the particulars within the Bible have been discovered through archaeology, there has never been an archaeological dig that has contradicted its Biblical parallel. From the glorious Psalms to the wisdom of Solomon, to the creation account by Moses, and the subsequent fall into original sin, to John's Apocalypse, to The Four Gospel's glorious news of what God has done; The Bible towers far above all literature as a literary masterpiece of such great wisdom and precision, that no human being could ever hope to accomplish such a task. The Bible is the only holy book with fore-told prophesy that came to pass. Predictive prophesy is a sure sign of the Hand of God, as foretelling the future is beyond the ability of what God endowed humans to have. Lamentations 3:37, "Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?" Jeremiah 28:9, "But the prophet who is of The Lord is so only if his prediction comes true." Deut. 18:22, Ezek. 33:33.

Who was the Bible written to? Today I am addressing a controversial way to approach the Bible to insure proper understanding. It’s controversial because people are not trained in the art and science of biblical interpretation. Yes, in a lot of cases, people just wing-it! Let’s turn to some key passages now, (note bold print carefully). Romans 1:7, “To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be His holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from The Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:2, “To the Church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus.” 2 Corinthians 1:1, “To the Church of God in Corinth, together with all His holy people throughout Achaia.” Galatians 1:1, “Paul, an apostle, sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead. To the Churches in Galatia.” Ephesians 1:1, “Paul, and apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:1, “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons.” Colossians 1:2, “To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.” Thessalonians 1:1, “Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the Church of The Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” I could go on but maybe you see my point. Check other books as well, but you will find that none of the Bible was written to us. All of the Bible was written for us. It is of the highest hermeneutical importance that we know who the audience is when we read books of the Bible. In Christian Apologetics one is eager to present the Gospel to those whom God desires to be saved. On the other hand, equipping (and reforming) the church through the art and science of Biblical interpretation is a full time job, as one seeks to circumvent the damage done by people who think the Bible is their wish list catalog, and who strip passage after passage from its historical context and its intended audience. This is just one tool of interpretation that will bring clarity when applied.

A lot of Christians think (based on the bible) that the earth and our universe are young. But the Bible was never meant to tell us the age of the earth. Science tells us the earth is very old, and therefore many see a schism between faith and science. This need not be however, unless we are trying to make the bible say something it was not designed to say. If we want to know the age of the earth, we need to look at God’s “general revelation”, not at His “special revelation”. The Bible is God’s “special revelation”. The earth and the cosmos around us are God’s “general revelation”. The very first verses of The Book of Romans make clear that people can look at what has been made (the cosmos), and they can see the evidence and existence of God based on what God has created, and that which God supernaturally sustains today. Though the cosmos and the earth are surely quite old, that does not mean that humanity is that old however. In fact, the oldest found human remains are in the thousands of years as compared to the millions of years which date back to a “Big Bang”. Yes, I said “Big Bang”. Big Bang Cosmology harmonizes with “special creation” by God. In the beginning of the creation of our cosmos, matter that was created by God was highly condensed in a supernaturally tight and tiny arrangement, then exploded, starting the expansion of our universe, which we can observe today. The Big Bang, requires a Big Banger. That’s God! All I have stated at this point has nothing to do with an evolutionary paradigm. In fact, both Darwinian Evolution and Theistic Evolution (evolution led along by God), are both against science and against our faith.

One of Christianity's core doctrines is the Biblical canon. "Canon" is a term signifying the principles safeguarding the discovery of God inspired written revelation. The Bible is further known as "the closed canon". This term asserts that "type and shadows" led up to the culmination of The Incarnation of Christ, in whom those "types and shadows" pointed forward to. With the fulfillment of this revelation (the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ), and the prophetic books penned by the first century prophets unveiling The New Covenant, the canon has been closed. There can be and will be no more books that find their way into the bible. There are also references in The Book of Daniel, and The Book of Jude, giving credence that revelation has been closed following the ministry of Christ, His Apostles, and their prophetic writings. Religious manuscripts that are dated a long time after their actual events are prime candidates for corruption. We see this in "The Gospel of Judas", a fourth century Gnostic writing. Likewise "The Gospel of Thomas" didn't find its way into our bible because, like Judas' Gospel, it failed to meet canonical requirements. In many cases these books are blasphemous. All the books of the "Biblical Canon" were completed within 37 years after the crucifixion of Jesus, therefore contamination was avoided. No man, or men, ever decided which books belong in the Bible. Instead, the God inspired writings that make up our Bible were discovered by men, not selected by men. These books were discovered by the principles of canonicity, which relates to why the Bible is termed as "the canon, or closed canon." It should be noted that The Roman Church has a number of books in their Bible that were rejected at the Protestant Reformation, and remain rejected. This is something of importance that we should all educate ourselves in

It's a theological deduction that the devil, is God's devil. All of creation is cursed and fallen, including humans, animals, spirits, the cosmos, and all therein. Yet all of creation is subject to The Creator. From scripture, one discerns that the devil is on a chain, and the length of that chain is determined by God. Satan can't do anything he wants. Yet, because Adam disobeyed God in rebellion, and because all of humanity has since ratified Adam's decision, God continues to sustain Satan in existence allowing him to tempt us. In the Book of Job, Satan is given permission by God to attack Job, (Job 1:12). Yet Job looked at it differently. Job stated, "Though He (God) slay me, yet will I trust in Him," (Job 13:15). Job also stated, "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of The Lord", (Job 1:21). So it is good that we recognize Satan's role in the affairs of men. But it is also good that we recognize we are culpable (guilty) for our own sin, and as such God has ordained that we are to suffer the repercussions of our sin. Though sin's consequences effect us here on earth, Christ's righteousness is imputed to Christians, and our sin is not imputed to us, it is forgiven. At the resurrection of all flesh, Christians will be actualized in their choice to believe in Christ for salvation. At that time the veil between God and man will be lifted, as God and man will live together in a new world where sin is no longer possible! "Well what about Satan," you say? The Bible says that Satan and his demons will be eternally quarantined in hell, along with all those who want nothing to do with God. This is the second death.

Based on the Bible, I believe we are all building our resume for heaven. Much like we built our education, then we go out into the world and take on opportunity, we are also building continually for eternity. Stepping into a new world, our experiential and educational prowess often determines how far we are able to reach. The Bible teaches levels of reward in heaven, as it also teaches levels of punishment in hell. One might acknowledge that someone like The Apostle Paul will likely have higher capacities than someone who just squeaks into heaven, 1 Corinthians 3:9-15. Likewise, one like Adolph Hitler will have a higher degree of punishment, as opposed to a generic pagan who chose to be separated from God for all of eternity. Just a mere 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ stepped into time. He inaugurated His Kingdom, with what the Bible denotes as "the end times". He will return to consummate His Kingdom. Paradise lost, will once again become Paradise restored. Paul writes in Romans 8:22, "For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body." The re-creation of the cosmos, and the recreation of our bodies, go hand-in-hand. So let us heed that our current earthly lives are preparation for eternity. 1 Corinthians 3:9-15, "For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."

Christmas is the answer to the fall of mankind, to sin, and to ultimate death. Adam ate the forbidden fruit casting humanity into sin and rebellion against God, terminating in physical and spiritual death. We all since, have ratified the choice of Adam. We have concurred that Adam was right, though he was actually deadly wrong. Consequently, God cursed Satan in Eden, telling Him (Genesis 3:15), "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel." Satan was to strike Christ at the heel, a term signifying a less than fatal blow. But Christ was to crush the head of Satan. The "head" signifies power and authority; preeminence. This Christmas, may we glorify the Seed (Jesus), that crushed the power (head) of Satan, and that reversed the effects of the fall. In the earliest stages of humanity, God had plans to save and justify His beloved creature man. Those plans even pre-existed man's creation. Now we can surely say, "Glory to The Lamb of God and to The Seed in whom we find our salvation."

I saw a sign that read, "Sometimes you WIN, Sometimes you LEARN." That's what I want to talk to you about today. Romans 8:28 says, "All things work together for good to them that love God." 1 Corinthians 4:17 says, "Our light affliction which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Romans 8:18 says, "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us." God gives us the best of both worlds; life on earth, eclipsed by life in eternity. Only God can take your mess, and create a message. Only God can take your trial, and create triumph. Only God can take your testing, and create a testimony. "Sometimes you WIN, sometimes you LEARN." But when your passion lies in the God that made you, one thing is always certain. Your never, ever, lose.

God is partially revealed, and partially hidden. You cannot see God. You cannot carry on an audible, two-way conversation with God. Yet, you know He is there. He does not answer every prayer in our way, and at times, all humans experience some form of doubt of God’s existence. The veil between heaven and earth cannot be penetrated at this time, so we as spatial, physical, and visual creatures, certainly are not seeing all of God at this time. God is partially revealed, and God is partially hidden. But why? Why has God chosen this approach to His creation? God partially reveals Himself, so that those who want a relationship with Him, can know enough about His existence that they can surely walk with Him in faith, and know Him as Creator. Christianity isn’t founded on blind faith, it is founded on faith in evidence. God reveals enough of Himself to us, that we know He is real. Yet He remains partially hidden. God partially hides Himself for just the opposite reason. A lot of people hate any idea of God. A lot of people do not like to hear about God. God partially hides Himself so that those who despise His knowledge, and His existence, will be able to foster and fabricate just enough doubt, that they may actually deny that God exists. In the “Great Assize”, God will remove this veil and live together with saved humanity. Those who have chosen to live apart from God will have their wishes as well.

Have you considered, “The Three Humiliations of Christ?” I absolutely love the word “condescend”. It means to behave as if one is conscious of descending from a superior position, rank, or dignity. It means to voluntarily lay aside one’s dignity or superiority and assume equality with one regarded as inferior. Have you considered that Christ condescended to cloak Himself in human flesh, to save us, and to undo the effects of The Fall? This is The First Humiliation of Christ, (His birth as a human). The Creator of our universe may have very well picked a flower in His youth and given it to Mary, His Mother. “Look Mommy, a flower!” Christ created flowers, now He lowers Himself to the place where He discovers His own creation! If you or I descended down the ladder of creature hood to become a worm, that would be a giant descent! Still, it would be from one creature, to another creature. Christ far surpassed this! He went from Creator to creature. The scope of Christ’s First Humiliation is an immeasurable chasm beyond human comprehension. The Second Humiliation (His life on earth) of Christ lasted just 33 years, in fact only in those 33 years was He called “Jesus”. God lived as one of us. Our God of no needs, lived with needs. Jesus felt pain. He felt hunger. He cried. He felt all that we feel in the limitations that are common to human nature. The Third Humiliation of Christ (His death) is when Jesus was mocked, beaten, scourged, slapped, spat upon, then crucified on a tree in the midst of two criminals. Bethlehem had no room when He was born. Now, Jerusalem had no room for a Man like this Man. And this is my version of The Three Humiliations of Christ. Jesus took on a new name after His resurrection. He forever became, “Lord Jesus Christ”, Philippians 2:6-11. John 17:5, “And now, Father, glorify me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began.”

The Talking Snake, That Was Not. The Bible is known as a “heavenly condensation”. It is written in a way that the reader can relate, and it is written that it may be easy to remember. This was done intentionally, as early believers did not have hard drives. They were exclusively an oral culture. Moses uses the imagery of a snake as he exposits how Adam and Eve feel into a life of sin, terminated by death. If you are one to think that Eve was tempted by a real physical snake, then perhaps when you read Genesis 3:15 you will also think that Jesus Christ was to triumph over the powers of darkness by stepping on the head of a serpent, rather than by His passion on the cross, (Colossians 2:15). Satan came to Eve, just as He comes to us. Suggestion, and temptation. He preyed on her natural weaknesses, yet they were culpable for their own sin. Satan cannot read our minds, but he can plant mind-to-mind thoughts of communication if we allow him to. He has been around for a long, long time, and as such, he has had libraries of requisite knowledge at his disposal to use against us. It has been said that The Bible does not tell us what Satan “looks like”. Instead, the Bible tells us what Satan “is like”. In John’s Apocalypse, He is called a dragon. Other places call him “an angel of light, a roaring lion, and so on. None of these descriptions tells us what Satan actually looks like. They all tell us what Satan is like. He is cunning. His motive is lethal. He is deceitful. He is a liar, (John 8:44). Remember that Satan is an angel, therefore He has no physicality. He does have metaphysicality. Angels do not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). Spirits, angels, demons, cannot be seen, for they are not visible. God can cause an angel to temporarily take on physical form; He has done this many times throughout scripture. This however is not the norm. Angels do not look like anything, because they have no physical presence. However, they are certainly real creatures that God has created for His purposes.

What is a Biblical Jew?

Did you know the Bible refers to God's covenant people using Jewish distinctions even though they are not Jewish by nationality or ethnicity?

We see in Esther 8:17, "And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them." Likewise, Paul wrote in Romans 2:28, "A person is not a Jew who is one outwardly." Many other examples could be given.

The word “Jewish” or “Jew” is often used in the Bible as an idiom for God’s covenant people.

Today, the nation of Israel is often confused as God's chosen people, when in fact, God's chosen people have ALWAYS been one covenant people from every tongue, every tribe, and every nation under heaven. The New Testament church did not replace Israel (replacement theology). The New Testament Church is Israel (covenant theology), and always has been. Biblical Israel is not a piece of land in the Middle East.

Ruth was a Moabite, the archenemy of Israel, and yet she was part of True Israel because she believed in Yahweh, the God of Israel. Ruth as well as Rahab the Harlot are both included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew’s Gospel. They were not Jewish! They are part of True Israel, because they had faith in The God of The Bible!

The people spoken of in The Book of Esther didn’t change their birth mother, or nationality, but they believed in Yahweh, the God of Israel. So again, this has nothing to do with race. It has everything to do with serving God.

In the verse below, The Apostle Peter takes the same language Moses used in Exodus and applies it toward New Testament Christians.

Exodus 19:6 (Moses), "You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

1 Peter 2:9 (Peter), "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession."

The Bible does literally state that Jesus was a Jew. As a hermeneutical rule, we must distinguish as to whether a word is to be taken literal, or as a figure of speech, such as the idiom I introduced in my prologue. Being familiar with the art and science of biblical interpretation, defining words in their context, provides the assurance for biblical fidelity.

Romans 9:6, “For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.”

What does "God is Love" mean?

God is love (1 John 4:8). What does it mean? Let's define human love first. We love because we see the best, the most beautiful, the greatest. Our love is drawn out of us by the object of our love. I love you, because of this, or because of that. When we say "we fall in love", it sounds like we've fallen into a ditch or something, and cannot get up. God's love is of a different nature to human love. If God's love only goes out to the best, to the most beautiful, to the greatest, then no one even qualifies to get to first base. God's love isn't drawn out by its object. His love flows from Him freely and spontaneously, and out to the lowest, and to the worst, and to the filthy, even unto His enemies. God doesn't love us because of who we are. God loves us because of who God is. God is love! God does not have any love, He is love. Big difference! Love is not attached to God as an emotion, that gets hot when we are good, or gets cold when we are bad. God is love. He is what love is. It's as if I shared a glass of water with you. I can share a little, or I can share much. Still, it is me sharing the water with you. It's nothing like this with God. With God it's as if I come to you and say "I AM WATER!" God is love! He is the very essence of what love is! If you hear Him call you today, turn not away! He'll change you forever!

Talking about "This, That, and The Other"

Talking about "This, That, and The Other"

I've had some sort of writer's block for a couple of months it seems. Maybe not block, perhaps just an absence of the grace that feeds a mind to pen an article of encouragement. I'm looking at a lot of things. I've read the Bible through 24 times, but have not read it through for around 12 years now. Still, I am in the Bible every day, researching, cross referencing, memorizing, and so on. I am hoping to get back on a full read, God willing.

This week it has been reported that The Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland, has discovered that Albert Einstein's theory of relativity may be incorrect in some aspects. The repercussions could have an enormous effect on physics, and how we view our universe. The World's Largest Super Collider recorded sub-atomic particles going at speeds faster than the speed of light, which goes against Einstein's theory. This is not the first time this allegation has been made, and Einstein's theory has stood the test of time so far. Many are saying that is what they expect again this time.

As a new born Christian, thirty years ago, I accepted a young-Earth position when it came to creation models. However, I have slowly moved over to an old-Earth view, and have done more than usual in researching this recently. Pertaining to the young-Earth view, people try and read the Book of Genesis, the genealogies in particular, then attempt to try and date the time of Creation. This cannot be done, and I even tried it myself about 10 years ago, but the gaps in the genealogies preclude this possibility. Furthermore, almost all good science militates against a young Earth. Young-Earth or old-Earth, the actual age of the Earth does not jeapordize the veracity of God's divine special revelation, we know as the Bible. When the Bible and science synergize, we naturally develop trust, as logic and fundamental principles come into play that can give our intellect an understanding of the harmony between "The Book of Nature" and "The Book of The Bible". When things conflict and are contrarian to one another, we are forced to try and pick the one that makes the most sense. Until next time, God bless you all! brian><>craig.

Bread † The Mystery

Do you remember in scripture, where Jesus says, "I Am the Bread of Life?" Have you ever pondered what He might have meant? If God needed to make Bread out of you, would you be willing? In Bible days, the breaking of Bread was sacred! Bread was present at every meal much like today, and to share a meal with another person or family, was to "cut a covenant of salt." Oh the wonders of Bread! You can smell, and almost see, a fresh loaf of Bread coming out of Grandma's oven. Wait! But first, the Bread must go into the furnace! The furnace causes the Bread to rise; to grow bigger! The Bread is actually becoming what God made Bread to be! But that cannot happen, without first spending time in the fire! At last the Bread is ready. But Wait! What is the purpose of all of this? Bread is of no use, until the knife breaks it! It may smell so good, fresh out of Grandma's oven, but just wait as the knife releases the heart of the Bread! The aroma increases exponentially! The Bread serves absolutely no purpose, until the fire, then the knife, are drawn upon it! Once broken, now the Bread can feed and nourish hungry souls. The body quickly sends the Bread's nutrients to needy and waiting parts of the body that need its nourishment to survive. I'm asking you now, has God made Bread of you lately? When He puts you in the fire, and He begins to break you, do you wish it weren't you? Do you run off crying, "the Devil's after me!?" God is making Bread out of you Man! Are we so blind, not to see the world's bleeding hearts, and wounded souls, that God is planning to invade through our testimony? If you belong to God, He is going to make Bread out of you! You might as well write it down! He is going to mature you by fire! He is going to break you! For in the breaking of God's own, a multitude can be fed the precious Bread they so desperately need! Certainly, Christ Jesus is The True Bread of Life! There is none Fairer, none Grander, than The Paragon of Virtue; Our Lord! But Father made Bread of Him, to save untold millions that would otherwise be lost forever. So when we see the oven heating up, When we see the knife laying there on the table, let us not shrink back and doubt the faithfulness of God! Instead, let us sit back in wonder, thanking Almighty God, that we are being counted worthy to suffer for His name! brian†craig