AMAZING FACT: DEVOTION

[blazingthru]

Our Steadfast Father
AN AMAZING FACT: On April 29, 1903, the quiet mining town of Frank in Alberta, Canada, was jolted into worldwide publicity when the side of the mountain under whose shadow it lay gave way, resulting in the largest landslide in North American history. Native Indians, who called it the “mountain that walks,” had always avoided the legendary mountain.
It was 6:00 in the evening on April 28, and John Thornley had just bid the last customer in his shop goodnight. His sister, Ellen, stood in the kitchen finishing up the dishes. It was her last night in Frank before returning to her home in a nearby town. On a sudden impulse, John talked Ellen into spending her last night in a nearby hotel. Ellen packed her bags, and the two walked the short distance to Frank Hotel, where they both took rooms for the night. This strategic relocation, seemingly on a whim, was to save their lives.

At 4:10 the next morning, a loud crack resounded through the still night air as a huge rock far up on Turtle Mountain broke loose and plunged down the mountainside. The boulder was quickly followed by another … and still another. The ground in the town below trembled as a 2,100- by 3,000- by 500-foot thick wedge of mountain broke away and thundered into the valley below. The slide spread out in a deadly fan, covering part of the town, including John’s empty cabin shop.

When the tremors hit, Ellen Thornley was catapulted out of bed and dumped on the other side of the room. The terrible quaking lasted for more than a minute and then died to stillness. It was not until the first streaks of dawn lit the exposed heart of Turtle Mountain that the stunned survivors beheld the extent of the tragedy.

What a comfort it is, in a world of constant change, to hear the words of our steadfast heavenly Father: “I am the Lord, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6). Even though the dearest things to our hearts might be removed, He has said His love and kindness will never depart from us.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.
- Isaiah 54:10

 

[blazingthru]

Empty Tanks

AN AMAZING FACT: On July 23, 1983, Air Canada Flight 143 ran out of fuel at 41,000 feet. The new Boeing 767 jet was only halfway through its trip from Montreal to Edmonton when the aircraft’s warning system sounded in the cockpit, indicating a fuel problem on the left side. The pilots naturally assumed that a fuel pump had failed, and turned off the alarm. But then a few moments later a second fuel alarm sounded, followed by a loud bong, and then both engines starving for fuel went silent. Obviously this stunned the pilots and terrified the 63 passengers.
Without any engine power most of the cockpit instruments went blank, leaving only a few battery-powered basics. Still disbelieving the jet could be out of fuel, the pilots scrambled to restart the engines. When they saw this was futile they began frantically searching charts for any landing strip within gliding distance that would be long enough to accommodate their rapidly descending jet. They turned towards the nearest landing site, a closed airbase at Gimli, Manitoba, 20 miles away. What the pilots didn’t know was that the decommissioned runway was being used that day as a drag racing strip and was full of cars, campers … and people.

Without regular engine power, the hydraulic steering became very stiff. Captain Bob Pearson performed a difficult side-slip maneuver to line up the silently descending aircraft with the runway. As the 767 main gear touched down the captain stood on the brakes. Then the nose wheel collapsed, sending sparks flying 300 feet into the air as the aircraft plowed down the runway. Shocked spectators, racers, and kids on bicycles scattered, clearing the runway. Miraculously, the crew was able to safely land the jumbo jet and no one was hurt. The subsequent investigation revealed that someone had miscalculated the fuel load. Canadian airlines had recently adopted the metric system in place of the imperial system.

It takes power to fly an airplane up into the blue sky. It also takes power for the Christian to “walk worthy of the Lord.” If the fuel tank is empty and the engines are not running, you will glide downward like the Gimli Glider. Fortunately, the pilots of Flight 143 made a safe landing. But how many people will crash and burn because they are not filled with the power of the Holy Spirit?
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
- Colossians 1:9-10

 

[blazingthru]

Hidden Treasure

AN AMAZING FACT: Peter Whatling, a farmer from the town of Hoxne in England, lost a hammer in his field in November of 1992. Of course he wanted to find the hammer, but more importantly, a hammer lying in a farm field can do a lot of damage to mowers and harvesting equipment. So Whatling asked his friend Eric Lawes to try and find it with his metal detector. Instead, Lawes found something he wasn’t looking for: 24 bronze coins, 565 gold coins, almost 15 thousand silver coins, and nearly 200 silver and gold pieces of jewelry and tableware—all dating back to around a.d. 408. It was the largest hoard of Roman silver and gold from this era ever discovered in the United Kingdom.
It is believed the treasure was hidden as the Roman Empire was crumbling and losing control of Britain. The treasure was buried in a couple of wooden chests that rotted away, leaving behind their two silver locks. The careful burial suggests that the owner intended to come back and recover it later, but obviously something went wrong. Since British law requires such finds to be reported to the authorities, Whatling and Lawes immediately called the police.

The next day a team of archaeologists came and excavated the treasure, which became the property of the British government. British law also required the government to pay the finders of the treasure its fair market value, so Whatling and Lawes evenly split the equivalent of $2.8 million dollars. And the hammer? It too was found and is now displayed alongside the treasure at the British Museum.

Can you imagine the joy of finding treasure worth millions of dollars? Would you be tempted to sell everything you have in order to obtain that treasure? God’s kingdom is something like that! When we search His words in the Bible, we find the treasure of salvation—“the exceeding riches of His grace” (Ephesians 2:7). When we get a glimpse of His grace, the world will mean very little to us—all that matters is having more of Jesus and His truth! Would you like to trade in your worn-out hammer for His treasure chest?
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
- Matthew 13:44

 

[blazingthru]

The $500,000 Bath

AN AMAZING FACT: In 1851, Maha Mongkut, also known as Rama IV, ascended the throne as the king of Siam (now better known as Thailand). Mongkut was a true monarch, with total power over his five and a half million subjects. But he was also different from previous Siamese kings. Before becoming king he spent 27 years traveling as a Buddhist priest, studying English, French, and Latin as well as Siamese and Sanskrit. This made him friendlier toward the West, inviting European diplomats to his coronation and introducing Western innovations into his kingdom. Despite his openmindedness about other cultures, in his personal life Mongkut adhered to royal Siamese tradition, having 82 children by 39 wives. Nine thousand women lived in his harem, kept apart from the world in a separate city.
Mongkut was also very devoted to Buddhist tradition. This is why he spent half a million dollars for a single ritual bath for his son. The Temple of the Bath is a beautiful pool surrounded by four smaller pagodas, all encrusted with heavy plates of gold and gems. In the center is the fabulous marble and gold swimming pool. The king built the Golden Temple on the Menam River in 1887 at a cost of $500,000. After the solemn bath was administered to the prince, the structure was never occupied again.

The Bible invites us to experience a cleansing bath that removes more than dirt from our bodies. Baptism is a ritual that demonstrates our belief that when we confess our sins to God, we can be assured that Jesus washes away all sin from our hearts. We are plunged beneath the waters to publicly signify our allegiance to our King in heaven. Christ led the way by His own example. But he wasn’t baptized in a gold- and marble-plated pool decorated with gemstones. Jesus was immersed in the muddy Jordan River. This pleased His Heavenly Father.

Baptism symbolizes Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. When we are baptized, we accept the work of Christ for our salvation. Jesus paid to wash away our sins by shedding His own blood. That’s why the most expensive bath in the world is baptism!

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
- Acts 2:38

 

[blazingthru]

Tally Sticks

AN AMAZING FACT: We hear a lot these days about banking corruption, but the problem isn’t new. In eleventh-century England, people were plagued by the dishonesty of creditors. To overcome this abuse, in the year A.D. 1100, Henry I, son of William the Conqueror, started a system known as the “tally,” from the Latin word for “stick.” A tally stick was about nine feet long and a half inch wide. Every time money changed hands, lines were drawn across the face of a stick, indicating the amount of the loan. On two sides, the value of the “tally” was carved into the wood. It was then split lengthwise and each person received a half of the stick as proof of the transaction, with the creditor retaining one half and the debtor getting the other, an exact “carbon copy.”
It was practically impossible to counterfeit a tally, and those who tried lost their heads! The wood grain was as unique as a fingerprint. Notches and ink inscriptions had to match. This could only happen if both pieces came from the same split tally stick. When compared they had to “tally,” which is where we get the word for reckoning. The British Empire used tally sticks for over 700 years. Then in 1843, because a new banking system and currency were introduced, all the tally sticks in England were collected and burned. Yet the term lives on, since it is from the German word for “stick” that we get the word “stock,” a security for creditors of a business we hear about on Wall Street.

The book of Revelation speaks of God’s people being measured with a stick. What is the Lord’s “tally stick”? James writes, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). If we are preparing for Jesus’ soon coming, then “when He is revealed, we shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2). In other words, God’s law and our hearts will tally!

Before Jesus comes let us take stock of our lives. He covered the debt of our sin that we might receive the free gift of salvation. As we come closer to Jesus our characters will be a copy of His. It’s a transaction that can never be counterfeited.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
- Revelation 11:1

 

[blazingthru]

Discouraging Words

AN AMAZING FACT: The Battle of Stalingrad during World War II was arguably the bloodiest battle in human history, with combined casualties estimated above 1.5 million. In 1942 the German army, with the Axis forces, had nearly captured the sprawling Russian city. But by 1943, after months of brutal house-to-house fighting, the Russian military defending Stalingrad managed to turn the tables and surround Hitler’s Sixth Army—the besiegers became the besieged.
In addition to a heavy bombing campaign, the Russians placed powerful loudspeakers within the listening range of German soldiers. A series of sound tactics were used to discourage the German troops. For example, they played the loud, monotonous ticking of a clock, followed by a voice saying, “A German dies every seven seconds on the Eastern Front.” The propaganda voice then intoned, “Stalingrad, mass grave of Hitler’s army!” and then creepy tango music would start blaring across the empty frozen wasteland. Demoralized and starved, 91,000 German soldiers eventually surrendered.

Samson, the mighty judge of Israel, surrendered the secret of his strength when Delilah pestered him over and over. Her words eventually broke him down until “his soul was vexed to death that he told her all his heart” (v. 16, 17). Discouraging words have a powerful force on our lives. We don’t even need to audibly hear them. They can bring us down just by thinking negative thoughts.

Wise Solomon penned, “The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and a good report makes the bones healthy” (Proverbs 15:30), and Paul encouraged, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Do not surrender to the enemy by listening to negative words or an evil report. Think and talk faith! Repeat the promises of God. Believe in the Bible and stand firm against discouraging words.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth. And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
- Judges 16:15-16

 

[blazingthru]

Never Saw A Female

AN AMAZING FACT: Probably the only healthy man in modern history who never saw the form or heard the voice of a woman was Mihailo Tolotos. Mihailo was a monk who died in 1938 at the age of 82 in one of the monasteries atop Mount Athos, in Greece. When his mother passed away during his birth, Mihailo was taken the next day to Athos, a piece of land jutting out into the Aegean Sea. The monk never once, throughout his entire life, left this monastic colony, which for more than 900 years has strictly excluded all females, animals as well as humans. This tradition dates back to the founding of the monastery nine centuries earlier.
Is it good for man to be alone? Not according to Genesis 2:18. But with the rising divorce epidemic it might make you wonder if marriage is still a good idea. Jesus quotes Genesis 2:24 and says, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” (Matthew 19:5), supporting the institution of marriage.

The apostle Paul certainly does not insist on everyone getting married, and supports celibacy as a positive lifestyle for serving the Lord (see 1 Corinthians 7:7). But would Paul recommend a lifetime of seclusion? In an interesting application of Genesis 2:24, the apostle says, “For we are members of His body, of His flesh and His bones. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:30-32).

In the Bible, a woman is used as a symbol for God’s people. “I have likened the daughter of Zion to a lovely and delicate woman” (Jeremiah 6:2). God’s church is described as a woman in Revelation 12:1. Perhaps Paul’s counsel to Mihailo Tolotos would be to stay connected to God’s people and not live in isolation from the body of Christ. It is not good for anyone to be separated from the church, especially as we near the time of Jesus’ return.

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together … so much more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24, 25).
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
- Genesis 2:18

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
- Ephesians 5:30-32

 

[blazingthru]

Living With The Dead

AN AMAZING FACT: Around the 14th century A.D., thousands of poor and homeless people who were seeking shelter began squatting in tombs in an area of Cairo, Egypt. Can you imagine living in a tomb with the dead? It would be repulsive to most of us, yet the City of the Dead is a real place that I saw years ago while visiting the northern part of Cairo. It’s actually the strangest cemetery I’ve ever seen. The word “cemetery” is, in fact, a misnomer because this graveyard is teeming with life and activity.



Over a period of hundreds of years, the great rulers of ages past built acres and acres of huge and elaborate mausoleums and tombs. At that time, tradition dictated that each tomb be built with its own “party room”—which eventually became habitations for the homeless. The 1992 Cairo earthquake forced even more people to live in the City of the Dead, often in family tombs.

Strangely, this cemetery, which measures about four miles in length, is now classified as a suburb of Cairo. It has its own zip code, post office, police station, shops, electricity, running water, and sewer system. It’s also rather creative how the residents made use of the smaller gravestones by turning them into washing lines or tables. People actually live and conduct their lives in and around these tombs—working, sleeping, cooking, and eating—surrounded by their silent, macabre neighbors.

The Bible teaches there are only two classes of people, the living and the dead. You might think this is an obvious statement but, according to the Word of God, not all of the living are alive and not all of the dead are dead. Jesus said, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60). On another occasion, He said, “… have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

Jesus offers us this promise: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). Aren’t you glad God gives us that kind of reassurance of eternal life with Him?


KEY BIBLE TEXTS
He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
- 1 John 5:12

 

[blazingthru]

Hadrian’s Wall

AN AMAZING FACT: Around A.D. 122 Roman Emperor Hadrian ordered the construction of a wall in northern Britain, then part of the Roman Empire, to keep out the unconquered Caledonians of Scotland. Built out of stone and turf and measuring about 117 kilometers (73 miles) in length, the wall linked a series of forts and watchtowers. The Romans rebuilt Hadrian’s Wall several times throughout the 200s and 300s and used it as a fortification until about 400. The wall extended from Solway Firth to the mouth of the Tyne River and was about 6 meters (20 feet) high and about 2.4 meters (8 feet) wide. A military road ran along the south side of the wall, and a series of heavily garrisoned forts and sentry posts were built along its length. The wall also marked the frontier of Roman civil jurisdiction.
A few parts of Hadrian’s Wall remain standing in present-day Great Britain, especially in the mid-section. You can actually follow a path or ride your bicycle along the wall. It is the most popular attraction for tourists in Northern England. One government organization that manages historic sites in England calls Hadrian’s Wall “the most important monument built by the Romans in Britain.” On March 13, 2010, the route of the wall was lit by 500 gas beacons, flares, and torches at 250-meter intervals. Over 1,000 volunteers helped with the celebration of the 1,600th anniversary of the end of Roman rule in Britain.

The Bible tells us about another famous wall that was built to keep enemies out. When Babylon sacked Jerusalem, the army broke down the walls and burned the gates of the city. Years later Nehemiah hears a report of the condition of Jerusalem that not only makes him sad, but motivates him to do something about it. He was a cupbearer for King Artaxerxes and, after much prayer, an opportunity opens for Nehemiah to ask for help in restoring the walls of this beloved city. By God’s grace the reconstruction was completed in only 52 days!

The Lord wants to protect you from the devil. Like a broken-down wall, our hearts need repair. God wants to build up your life so that you are resistant to enemy attacks by Satan. Just as Hadrian’s Wall stretched from coast to coast, the Lord wants to completely protect you with His care.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
- Nehemiah 1:3

 

[blazingthru]

The Savior of John Smith
AN AMAZING FACT: Legends grow with the passing of time, and the story of Pocahontas seems to have become more embellished since Captain John Smith first wrote about this famous Native American woman who saved his life. According to Smith, a Jamestown leader, a group of Powhatan’s warriors captured him in December 1607. He was then taken to Powhatan, who forced him to kneel before him to be executed. Just as Powhatan’s men were about to crack his skull with wooden clubs, Powhatan’s young daughter, Pocahontas, ran and threw her body over Smith’s. She convinced her father to spare his life. Smith was then treated to a huge feast and let go.
But historians debate the details of what happened. Some compare different accounts of John Smith and believe he tended to exaggerate stories and wanted to enhance Pocahontas’s standing. Others think Powhatan may have been staging a special ceremony his people used to adopt someone into their tribe. In other words, Pocahontas may have simply been “playing the savior” in the ritual of symbolically making the Englishman an adopted son of Powhatan.

The story of Pocahontas is fun to read and has become a part of American folklore. Movies and books have taken the storyline and romanticized it until we are not sure where truth ends and fable begins. But there is a story of a savior who laid down his life to redeem a people who were captured and sentenced to die. Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, came to our Earth and was willingly crucified that we might live.

The father of Pocahontas, so the story goes, was going to execute John Smith. Pocahontas willingly laid down her life to save Smith. Her life was spared, but Christ’s life was not. Jesus threw Himself over our world to protect us, not from a Father seeking to execute us, but from the results of sin. He received the death blows that we might be set free. We have a Savior and His name is Jesus. Have you accepted Christ’s sacrifice?
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
- John 10:17

 

[blazingthru]

--------------------

 

[blazingthru]

Saved By A Bomb

AN AMAZING FACT: Fabian von Schlabrendorff was born in Germany in 1907. Though he trained as a lawyer, he eventually joined the German army before World War II. Realizing that Adolph Hitler was insane and destroying Europe, he joined the resistance. On March 13, 1943, during a visit by Hitler to an army center headquarters in Russia, Schlabrendorff smuggled a time bomb onto an aircraft meant to carry Hitler back to Germany. The bomb did not detonate, and even though Schlabrendorff was able to retrieve the bomb without being detected, he was eventually arrested after a second assassination attempt.
Schlabrendorff was sent to a Gestapo prison where he was tortured, but he refused to give any details of his own or others’ involvement with the resistance. Early in 1945, Schlabrendorff was brought before a Nazi court. The evidence against him was weak, but the judge, Roland Freisler, was infamous for handing down death sentences in almost every case. In fact, in his three years on the court, Freisler was responsible for as many death sentences as all the other judges combined over the eleven years the court existed. However, while Schlabrendorff waited for his trial to begin, an American air raid bomb hit the courthouse. The judge was killed, still holding Schlabrendorff’s file.

A month later, when Schlabrendorff’s trial was rescheduled, a different judge actually acquitted him, but he was still shuffled from one concentration camp to another until U.S. forces liberated his camp in May of 1945. In a unique twist of fate, he became a judge in the very country where he stood trial for treason.

The Bible teaches that a similar reversal of roles will happen again. Jesus was once condemned to death in an unfair trial, but we know that when He comes again, it will be as a righteous judge. As Peter told Cornelius, “It is [Jesus] who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead” (Acts 10:42). But Peter didn’t stop there, because the best news of all is that our judge is also our redeemer: “Whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:42, 43). Why not trust your case to Him?
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
- Psalms 98:9

 

[blazingthru]

The Great Surrender

AN AMAZING FACT: Masada, which means “fortress” in Hebrew, is a mountaintop stronghold in the Judean desert, built on a rocky mesa rising abruptly 2,000 feet above the nearby Dead Sea. It was renovated by Herod the Great between 37 and 31 B.C. When Jerusalem was taken by the Romans in A.D. 70, the last remaining rebels, a Jewish sect known as the Zealots, revolted and seized the fortress in their last stand against Roman rule. They refused to surrender.
With plenty of food and water, this group of about 1,000 men, women, and children led by Eleazar ben Jair, held off the whole Roman army for more than two years. After this long siege, 15,000 Roman soldiers from the Tenth Legion raised an enormous Earth ramp and broke through the walls. They found the bodies of over 960 men, women, and children, victims of a suicide pact to keep the Romans from taking them as slaves. All but seven killed themselves rather than yield to their enemies.

The Masada site was rediscovered in 1842 and extensively excavated by archaeologist Higael Yadin between 1963 and 1965. Today tourists may hike up the Snake Path on the eastern side or take a cable car to the top. Because of the dry climate, Masada has remained largely untouched by humans for over 2,000 years. A museum now displays findings, and tours are given daily, telling the story of the zealots who refused to give in.

There are certainly times in which we should fearlessly stand against the enemy. But there is also a time to surrender—not to the devil, but to Christ. When Paul shared the gospel with the Corinthians, he wrote, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). To the world it seems preposterous to worship a God who laid down His life. Yet, in the same way we may find life when we die to self and humble ourselves before God.

Our Bible text for today calls us to be just like Jesus and be crucified with Him. It is not our physical bodies that must climb upon a cross and die. We must surrender self. By laying down our rights, our desire to be first, and the lusts of our flesh, we receive salvation. When we admit defeat in the battle with self, we win the war by surrendering to Jesus.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
- Galatians 2:20

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
- 1 Corinthians 1:18

 

[blazingthru]

Paradise Lost and Found
AN AMAZING FACT: We’ve all heard the true account of the Mutiny on the Bounty, but one aspect of the story that deserves retelling is the transformation wrought by one incredible book.
Shortly after the famous mutiny in 1789, nine mutineers with six Tahitian men and 12 women went ashore on Pitcairn Island—a tiny island in the southern Pacific Ocean. They burned the Bounty and established a colony. Things went along all right for a short time. In some respects, it seemed like they were living in a paradise. But some of the mutineers treated the Tahitians disrespectfully and war broke out between them, eventually resulting in the deaths of most of the men on both sides. After that, peace reigned again briefly, until one of the sailors began distilling alcohol from a native plant. Most of the surviving settlers drank excessively. Soon the little colony was plunged into debauchery, vice, and murder.

Ten years later, only one man—John Adams—survived, surrounded by 10 native women and a bushel of half-breed children. One day this sailor discovered a Bible in an old chest from the Bounty. He began to read it and then teach it to the others. The result was that his own life and, ultimately, the lives of all those on the island were dramatically transformed. In fact, when Pitcairn Island was visited in 1808 by an American whaling ship, the previously crime-consumed colony had become a thriving community with no jail, no whiskey, no laziness, and no crime.

Today the descendants of this colony still live in a moralistic society on one of the most isolated islands in the world. Can Bible principles really transform a culture from vice and crime to tranquility today? I believe they can. The Word of God draws us away from conformity to the world with all of its trouble and vices. By reading and studying the Bible our minds are renewed; they are transformed to become more and more like the mind of Christ. We find that we have peace in our hearts, conformity to God’s will, and a saving relationship with Him. Now that is real paradise!
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
- Romans 12:2

 

[blazingthru]

The Catacombs

AN AMAZING FACT: The Catacombs of Rome are a network of underground chambers and galleries that were used as burial places by the early Christians of the ancient Mediterranean world. During times of persecution, the catacombs became places of refuge because burial places were sacrosanct by Roman law. When churches above ground were destroyed by imperial order, worshipers met in the catacomb chapels. By the 3rd century A.D. Christians had carved 600 miles of tombs in volcanic rock in the area around Rome.
As Christianity gained converts and burials multiplied, the catacombs were expanded into honeycombs of galleries. The soft rock around Rome is perfect for making tunnels. When one level was no longer sufficient, staircases were dug and a second, third, or even fourth level of galleries was excavated below. Archeologists estimate that approximately three million Christians were interred in the catacombs around Rome.

Romans preferred cremation, but the Christians followed the practice of interring the dead in catacombs. They called them koimeteria, or “sleeping places.” This shows death, for a Christian, was merely sleep before resurrection, a state of temporary unconsciousness. The Bible repeatedly speaks of the dead “sleeping,” such as the kings of Israel and Judah “sleeping with their forefathers” (see 1 Kings 2:10 and 2 Chronicles 21:1 for examples).

When God created Adam from the dust of the Earth, the Lord breathed life into the first man and he “became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). At death the opposite of this creation takes place. When the breath of man returns to God, the body returns to the Earth and becomes dust again. The person or soul has no conscious existence apart from the body. Nothing in the Bible teaches a “soul” survives as a conscious entity after a person dies. In fact, the Bible says, “The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20).

When Jesus spoke to His disciples about their friend Lazarus sleeping, the disciples responded, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well” (John 11:12). Notice the next verse. “However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead’” (verses. 13, 14). And so, when our loved ones die, they rest in their graves or tombs until the second coming of Christ. Wouldn’t it be interesting to be near the catacombs on that day?
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
- John 11:11

 

[blazingthru]

The Piggy Bank

AN AMAZING FACT: Squirrels gather nuts. Dogs bury bones. Camels store food and water so they can travel across vast deserts. And pigs … well, pigs save nothing. They bury nothing. They store nothing. So why do we save our spare coins in a piggy bank? A little history.
During the Middle Ages, in about the 15th century, metal was very expensive and seldom used for household wares. Instead, dishes and pots were made of cheap orange clay called pygg. Whenever housewives could save an extra coin, they dropped it into one of their clay jars or pots. They called this their pygg bank. Over the next two hundred years, people forgot that “pygg” referred to the earthenware material, but the “piggy bank” retained its name.

Around the 17th century an unknown potter thought to shape a “pygg” jar to look just like a real “pig.” Of course, the piggy banks appealed to customers and delighted children. But the first piggy banks only had a slot in the top with no access hole in the bottom. Banks and savings institutions would often give piggy banks to children in an attempt to encourage them to save. People would drop their spare coins in the top and then literally break it open when it was full or some emergency arose. That’s where we get the saying “Break the bank.”

Isaiah says in our Bible text for today that God is the potter and we are the clay. The apostle Paul expands on this idea when he describes the message of the gospel being spread by simple people. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). In other words, the precious treasure inside is of more value than the container. The piggy bank is not as important as the coins it holds.

I’m sure looking forward to the day when our earthly bodies will be laid aside, these vessels of clay, and a new heavenly body will be given to us. But something that will not change is the treasure of the gospel in our hearts.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
- Isaiah 64:8

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
- 2 Corinthians 4:7

 

[blazingthru]

Rosetta Stone

AN AMAZING FACT: Everyone knows the ancient Egyptians possessed great scientific and engineering knowledge. But for more than 1,500 years, the history of this great civilization had remained a baffling secret. Even though Egypt’s history was written everywhere, it remained locked up in a mysterious writing called hieroglyphics. The Egyptians had used hieroglyphics for nearly 3,500 years, but no one in the modern world could decipher the meaning of the strange pictures and symbols. The Arabs who live in Egypt today are not the same race who built the pyramids so even they had no idea how to read the odd writings.
Then in 1799, while helping to extend an old Ottoman fort near Rosetta, a small city near Alexandria, a young French officer named Pierre-Francois Bouchard found an interesting block of black basalt stone. It measured three feet nine inches long, two feet four inches wide, and eleven inches thick. What is now considered a priceless archeological treasure which dates to 196 B.C.—and is said to be the most-visited item in the British Museum—had been used as common building material! On this stone was etched a decree written in three distinct bands of language—Egyptian hieroglyphs, Egyptian demotic, and ancient Greek. Scholars quickly realized that the same message was written in these three languages.

After years of careful examination a brilliant young scholar and linguist named Jean-Francois Champollion, in 1824, was able to decipher the hieroglyphics by comparing the ancient texts on the Rosetta Stone. Understanding hieroglyphics unlocked the mysteries and history of ancient Egypt.

The Bible is often compared to a rock that unlocks the plan of salvation. For those willing to listen, it explains the deepest spiritual mysteries and deciphers the real meaning of life. It reveals the Savior of the world and brings hope to millions of people of all nations. Sadly, the Word of God, which is the most priceless treasure we have, is often ignored and unappreciated, as was the Rosetta Stone for so many years. Why not read the Bible today and see what treasures are hidden in its precious pages?
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.
- Deuteronomy 5:22

 

[blazingthru]

The Last Living Dragon

AN AMAZING FACT: Flying dragons are prominent in many legends and stories from around the world. Often there is a kernel of truth in legends, and this appears to be the case with flying dragons. Paleontologists have found amazing fossil evidence all over the globe of giant flying reptiles called pterosaurs, or “winged lizards.” Pterosaurs were flying reptiles, some with a wingspan of around 40 feet. That’s about the size of a small Cessna airplane!
They appear to be the largest flying animals that ever lived on Earth. The biggest of the pterosaurs weighed around 550 pounds. By comparison, the heaviest flying bird alive today, a kori bustard, is only 44 pounds. The bones of a pterosaur were lightly built and hollow to aid with flight.

Pterosaurs often had necks as long as 10 feet and legs as tall as seven feet. To someone watching from the ground, the long legs trailing behind a flying pterosaur might have looked like a dragon’s pointed tail. Pterosaurs also had large brains and eyes, with a long, thin beak and toothless jaws.

On their heads were bony crests, which some believe acted as a rudder in flight. Other scientists have surmised that the hollow chambers in the skull could have contained chemicals like the bombardier beetle that sprayed a fiery liquid from their mouths. We can’t tell from the bones, but it is even possible that some of these extinct dragons were red.

Some of these creatures may have survived the flood. In the 5th century B.C. the Greek historian Herodotus wrote about “winged serpents” living in Arabia. But the Bible tells us that at least one dragon still exists today—the dragon also known as “the Devil and Satan” (Revelation 20:2). While some people believe that the devil is just a religious legend, the Bible makes it quite clear that he not only exists, but seeks to “deceive the whole world” and destroy those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:9, 17). But the devil is not left unchecked, nor will he prevail. After being bound for a thousand years, he too will become extinct: “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone” (Revelation 20:10).
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
- Revelation 20:2

 

[blazingthru]

The Walking Library

AN AMAZING FACT: During the days of the Persian Empire the grand vizier was typically the most influential officer in the realm. He was second in authority only to the sultan himself, who often left politics to others so he could indulge in palace pleasures. The grand vizier served much like a prime minister, with complete powers of attorney and was the leader of the imperial council.
In the 10th century, the grand vizier of Persia, Abdul Kassem Ismael, carried his library with him whenever he went on official business. The 117,000-volume collection was carried by 400 camels that had been trained to walk in alphabetical order! This was to simplify locating official documents for the librarians quickly pulling a book for their master. The Bible exalts Jesus Christ as the Grand Ruler of the universe.

Because of Christ’s willingness to come to this Earth, Paul writes, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow …” (Philippians 2:9, 10). Much like a giant library, Jesus is not only called “the Alpha and the Omega” (Revelation 1:8), but John tells us regarding the works of Christ, “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

Jesus is called “the Word.” He knew the written Word of God because the library of Scripture pointed to Himself. After His death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to two men walking on the road to Emmaus. They were confused about the recent events in Jerusalem. Christ pointed them to the Bible to encourage their faith. Luke writes, “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27).

The Bible is like a walking library. Everything in this sacred library points to Jesus’ life and work to save people. No matter which book you pull out and open, it tells of Christ. No matter where you are in the world, you can open the Word of God and find that all of Scripture testifies of Him (John 5:39). And you don’t need 400 camels to carry around this amazing book!
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- John 1:1

 

[blazingthru]

The Wicked Bible

AN AMAZING FACT: Most of us know that the first book ever printed on a printing press was the Bible. But the quality and methods of printing in those early years were very primitive in comparison to today. This led to many printing errors in these early Bibles; although they did not cause any serious theological confusion, some of them were still worth a smile.
That is, until 1631, when King Charles I ordered 1,000 Bibles from an English printer named Robert Barker. Only after the Bibles were delivered did anyone notice a serious mistake. In Exodus 20:14, a very small word was forgotten by the printers—the word “not.” That might seem like a small mistake in a book with over 700,000 words. But Exodus 20:14 happens to be one of the Ten Commandments. This little error changed the seventh commandment to say “Thou shalt commit adultery”!

This legendary edition became known as the “Wicked Bible.” King Charles was not amused by the infamous printing blunder. He ordered the Bibles recalled and destroyed, took away Barker’s license to print Bibles, and fined him 300 pounds (that was a lifetime of wages in those days). It is believed that only 11 of the original 1,000 Bibles exist today.

Robert Barker’s mistake was an innocent one; he didn’t intend to tamper with the Ten Commandments. But the Bible tells us that the Beast power would deliberately try to change God’s law. The prophet Daniel wrote, “He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law” (Daniel 7:25).

But Jesus told us that God’s law cannot be changed, not even “one jot or one tittle.” As a reflection of God’s character, it is unalterable. Whatever happens, God’s law stands solid and immovable.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
- Matthew 5:18-1

 

[blazingthru]

Guarding A Dead Rosebush

AN AMAZING FACT: Years ago in the old Russian Empire the ruling czar, Nicholas II, was strolling through his vast palace gardens when he came upon a lonely guard standing at attention in a secluded corner of the great meandering gardens. “What are you guarding?” asked the inquisitive ruler. “To tell you the truth, O Great Sovereign, I have no idea, but the captain of the guard ordered me to this post,” the sentry replied.
Czar Nicholas then summoned the captain and made further inquiries as to what was being guarded. The captain of the guard replied, “O Great Sovereign, there are clear written regulations specifying that a guard was to be assigned to that precise corner at all times and this has been done as long as I can remember.” The curious czar then ordered a search to find out why.

The palace archives finally yielded the answer. Years before, Catherine the Great had planted a special rose bush in that corner, and she had firmly ordered a sentry to be posted there to guard it so nothing might disturb or damage it. Now, one hundred years later, even though the rose bush had died long before, sentries were still guarding the now barren corner of dirt, even though no one knew why!

Traditions of faith can be valuable. They may be useful in preserving special experiences or ideals handed down by family or culture. However, we should be careful in what we spend our time guarding! Many religions zealously defend rituals which have lost their meaning. People may faithfully stand by traditions but not know why.

There is a more serious concern regarding traditions that Jesus warned us about. If a custom should ever stand in conflict with the commandments of God, it should be thrown out. Christ told us that holding such traditions makes “the word of God of no effect” (Mark 7:13). It’s a good idea to reflect on the traditions we keep. Do they conflict with God’s law? If so, we are stepping away from the Bible. It’s like standing guard over a dead bush.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
- Mark 7:7-8

 

[blazingthru]

The Giver of Wisdom
AN AMAZING FACT: Born of slave parents in Diamond Grove, Missouri, George Washington Carver was rescued from Confederate kidnappers as an infant. He began his education in Newton County in southwest Missouri, where he worked as a farmhand and studied in a one-room schoolhouse. Throughout his formal education, Carver was the only African-American student at each school he attended. An excellent student, he thrived in the educational environment, impressed his teachers, and went on to earn a master’s degree from Iowa State College.
Carver is perhaps to this day the nation’s best known African-American scientist. In the period between 1890 and 1910, the cotton crop had been devastated by the boll weevil. At Tuskegee Institute, Carver had developed his crop rotation method, which alternated nitrate-producing legumes—such as peanuts and peas—with cotton, which depletes the soil of its nutrients.

Carver advised the cotton farmers to cultivate peanuts. Following Carver’s lead, southern farmers soon began planting peanuts one year and cotton the next. While many of the peanuts were used to feed livestock, large surpluses quickly developed. Carver then invented over 300 different uses for the extra peanuts—from cooking oil to shampoo, from milk to printer’s ink.

When he discovered that the sweet potato and the pecan also enriched depleted soils, Carver found almost 20 uses for these crops, including making synthetic rubber and material for paving highways. His accomplishments earned him world renown as a plant expert, scientist, and inventor, and he received many honors.

While some people, such as George Washington Carver, seem to have an extra measure of wisdom, we can all increase our wisdom. The Bible clearly identifies the true source: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6). God wants us to have wisdom. His Word tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

George Washington Carver had great faith in God and knew Jesus as his Savior. He was also a humble man. Because he understood that all wisdom comes from God, he rightly gave God the credit for all of his skills, talents, and accomplishments.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.
- 1 Kings 4:34

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
- James 1:5

 

[blazingthru]

The Trojan Horse

AN AMAZING FACT: Legend has it that when the Greeks were unable to capture the city of Troy, even after imposing a 10-year siege, they finally resorted to a clever stratagem. The Greek army pretended to sail away and left on the shore a huge, hollow wooden horse as an apparent victory gift. However, the gift was actually filled with several armed warriors!
Sinon, a Greek warrior, is the only volunteer to be “left behind” and become a spy inside Troy. The Greeks pretend to sail away, but plan to come back under the cover of night. Sinon then tells the people of Troy that the horse is a gift to the god Athena to atone for their evil acts against their city. He then persuades the Trojans to bring the horse within the city walls, saying it will mysteriously make Troy invincible. That night Sinon releases the troops hiding in the gigantic horse. After killing the Trojan guards, they open the gates to the waiting Greek soldiers, and Troy is captured and burned.

There are various accounts of different characters who try to warn the Trojans not to accept the gift horse. A Trojan priest expresses, in Virgil’s famous poetic words, “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts,” but is strangled by the god Poseidon before the townspeople hear and believe his warning.

Modern historians suggest the horse may have originally been a battering ram. Others think an earthquake provided the necessary break down of walls for soldiers to enter the city. Today we think of a “Trojan horse” as any deceptive strategy used to trick people into bringing an enemy into one’s protected space—such as innocently opening a computer file and infecting your hard drive.

The Trojan horse is a clear illustration for the work of Satan in seeking to deceive people just before Jesus returns. Christ warns us that in the last days “many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:5). The devil will not try to send false Christs only once or twice. Many deceivers will come. Jesus tells us to be careful. Like Virgil’s famous words, we too should “beware of the devil bearing gifts!”
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
- Matthew 24:4-5

 

[blazingthru]

A King’s Ransom
AN AMAZING FACT: In A.D. 1532, Francisco Pizarro, with around 160 men, entered the heart of the Inca Empire in search of gold. The Conquistadors eventually found their way into the presence of the young Inca king, Atahuallpa. That’s when a Spanish friar, traveling with Pizarro, told the Inca monarch his people must renounce their gods. When Atahuallpa asked them upon what authority they were making this demand, the Catholic friar handed him a Bible. Atahuallpa held the book next to his ear, trying to listen to its pages. At last he asked: “Why doesn’t the book say anything to me?” And he threw it violently to the ground.
The Spanish used this insult as an excuse to attack and massacre the crowds of unarmed people, and the handsome king was arrested. It is, indeed, astonishing to think how a small army like Pizarro’s, with only 62 horsemen and 102 infantry, were able to attack an empire of at least five million people. But they had the latest technology in deadly weapons—guns and mechanical crossbows and horses—that terrified the natives.

King Atahuallpa, now understanding that the Spanish wanted gold, came up with his plan to free himself. He told Pizarro he would give, for his release, enough gold and silver vessels to fill three large rooms. The Spaniards thought this was impossible, but the gold-hungry Pizarro agreed. So Atahuallpa decreed that his realm be ransacked to fill one room 18-by-22-feet with gold stacked to a height of a little more than eight feet.

In addition, two equal-sized rooms would be filled with silver! By July of 1533, more than 24 tons of exquisite treasure had been collected, worth at least 267 million dollars at today’s values. The Spaniards did not honor their promise. They kept Atahuallpa imprisoned for another year, using him to control the Inca Empire, and then killed him.

How sad that the largest ransom ever paid for a man’s freedom was in vain! Sadder still, there are millions of people who have had a king’s ransom paid for their freedom and they choose to remain in prison! It doesn’t have to be this way. Jesus is waiting to release us from the prison of sin. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). Will you accept this freedom today?
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
- Galatians 5:1

 

[blazingthru]

Facts About Israel

AN AMAZING FACT: The state of Israel has only 0.8 percent of the world’s population and is the world’s 100th smallest country. Yet they can claim the following amazing accomplishments:
Twenty-four percent of Israel’s workforce holds university degrees and 12 percent hold advanced degrees. That’s the highest ratio for its population in the world.


Aside from the United States, Israel has the largest number of startup companies in the world.


Israel’s economy of $100 billion is larger than all of its immediate neighbors combined.


Israel has the highest average standard of living in the Middle East, even exceeding that of the United Kingdom.


Israel has the world’s second highest number of new books per capita.


Israel has the highest percentage in the world of home computers per capita.


The cell phone was developed in Israel by Motorola.


Israel is the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number of trees.


With an aerial arsenal of over 250 F-16s, Israel has the largest fleet of fighter aircraft outside of the United States.


Relative to its population, Israel is the largest immigrant-absorbing nation on Earth.


Israel has more museums per capita than any other country in the world.

It would certainly seem that God is blessing this little country! But why then is this unique nation so embattled? What will their end result be as a nation? Christ wept over Jerusalem and foretold their future. God has not rejected individuals of Jewish descent. But the Lord has turned away from Israel as His representative nation. Yet, the tears of Christ, when He wept over Jerusalem, are tears He weeps for you and me if we will not turn to Him.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 23:37-39

 

[blazingthru]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[blazingthru]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[blazingthru]

Berserkers

AN AMAZING FACT: Ancient Norse history speaks in the old sagas of a fearsome class of warriors called Berserkers. According to reports, Berserkers would dress themselves in the skins of bears or wolves to exploit the fear common people had for wild animals.
Before entering battle, Berserkers would whip themselves up into a sort of crazed frenzy, biting their shields and howling like animals, possibly aided by psychoactive drugs. While in this trance-like condition, they were ferocious fighters and seemingly impervious to pain. Swords and knives seemed to have little impact on them. In their rage, Berserkers made formidable enemies; they even attacked the boulders and trees of the forest and it was not uncommon for them to kill their own people during their rampage. Their irrational and violent behavior showed that they were totally out of control.

It was often said the Berserker seemed to change into bestial form, or at least to assume the ferocious nature of the wolf or bear. One writer reports, “… they went without coats of mail, and acted like mad dogs and wolves.” It is believed the myth of werewolves originates with these wild Norse warriors. And you probably figured out that these enraged Scandinavian fighters gave rise to the English word “berserk” to describe someone who is overcome with an uncontrolled rage. Now here’s a question: If Christians lose their temper and fly off the handle, are they really Christians when they act berserk?

The Scriptures tell us, “A wise man fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages …” and “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 14:16; 16:32). And Peter advises: “… add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control …” (2 Peter 1:5-7).

Self-control is an important part of Christian character. Only by controlling our temper can we reflect Christ to others. If we’re really living for Christ, rather than acting impulsively in response to anger, we will be developing the fruit of His Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22, 23).
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
- James 1:19-20

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
- Galatians 5:22-23

 

[blazingthru]

Napoleon’s Perfumes

AN AMAZING FACT: Josephine de Beauharnais was the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte and the first empress of the French. She received many love letters from Napoleon, and many of them still exist. Her chateau was known for a magnificent rose garden. She watched over it very carefully and collected roses from around the world. Because she did not produce an heir for the king, Napoleon divorced her, but never forgot her.
The chateau near Paris, long inhabited by Josephine, still exudes the strong odor of musk with which the empress used to douse her person in life. Her favorite essence was the Houbigant musk perfume manufactured in Paris. The castle, now a museum, changed hands many times after Napoleon’s ex-wife died in it in 1814. But no effort of the subsequent owners has ever succeeded in eradicating the strong and penetrating scent which clings to the walls, imprinting the empress’s personality on her residence forever.

Napoleon was so enamored of the sweet smell of success that he used 54 bottles of cologne a month and carried them with him to his battlefields. Houbigant fragrances could be found in his campaign chest during the years he went out to conquer Europe. One would think that on a windy day the odor would have alerted the enemy of his presence!

The Bible talks about perfume in reference to the Old Testament sanctuary altar of incense. God gave careful instructions on how to make this fragrant substance using gum resins and spices. The specific recipe was sacred and not to be used for general purposes (see Exodus 30:34-38). This incense was burned morning and evening on the altar that stood in the Holy Place in front of the curtain that separated it from the Most Holy Place.

This golden altar of incense was seen by John in vision in heaven standing before God. On it an angel burned incense, which was mingled with the prayers of the saints (Revelation 8:3) and represents the ministry of Christ. Like Josephine and Napoleon, it would be well for us to “douse” ourselves every day, not with cologne or perfume, but with the sweet savor of prayer.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.
- Exodus 30:35-36

 

[blazingthru]

The Left or Right

AN AMAZING FACT: Have you ever wondered why in some countries the drivers use the right side of the road and in others—like Great Britain—they use the left? Well, the theory is that in olden days the nobility would ride their horses on the left of the road so their sword hand, usually the right hand, would be on the same side as an oncoming horseman. Naturally, with armed nobility riding around, it made sense for peasants to walk on the right, facing the oncoming traffic. For many years this was the case in the U.K. and Europe.
But remember that during the French revolution many of the aristocrats were executed. Even after the revolution it was a bad idea to be mistaken for nobility. So everyone in France started to travel on the right side of the road. Then along came Napoleon, who carried this practice with him as he conquered large parts of Europe and built the first international road system since the Romans. But because of his defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon never made it to England. Therefore, the U.K. and all its territories continued riding on the left. Today the words “right” and “left” have also come to represent opposite extremes in politics and religion, generally in reference to liberal or conservative views and practices.

Did you know that the Bible teaches that right and left extremes will come together in the last days to worship the beast and its image? Revelation 13 talks about “small and great, rich and poor, free and slave” receiving a mark of allegiance to the beast. This power will attempt to unite all mankind in a defiant stance against God. When good and evil play out their final struggle, no one will be immune from making a choice one way or the other. Everyone will worship either God or the beast.

According to Scripture, the confrontation won’t last long. Every person from every nation will be gathered before Christ, “and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:32). Great things are in store for the sheep on the right, for they will inherit the kingdom of God (verse 34). I want to be sure I’m at the right hand of Jesus on that day, don’t you?
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
- Matthew 25:33