Summarize the features of the reign of David: a) as King b) as a person 512 - 7 - 2

As a youth David was devoted to God and willingly served as a shepherd boy. We get a glimpse at his early bravery in that he protected his charges from both a lion and a bear.
While David was still a boy the Philistines gathered together their armies to do battle against King Saul and his army. The giant Goliath taunted the King throwing a one-on-one challenge against him. David had been sent to carry food to his brothers and said this about Goliath’s challenge.

1 Samuel 17:26, “And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 1 Samuel 17:36, “Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.”

David met Goliath devoid of any armor armed only with a sling and five stones. David was ready not only to take on Goliath but also his four brothers who also were giants.

King Saul was rather unbalanced and David often play his harp and sang to him to soothe him. Even though David was loyal, Saul was jealous of David and sought to kill him.

Later as King David was an outstanding warrior with a very loyal following of his mighty men. David was in fellowship with God and as such enjoyed one victory after another. Success followed success and then King David started to stay at home rather than going out to battle with his men. At this point, he fell into the sin of the flash and not only committed adultery with Bathsheba but arranged the murder of her husband. In addition to his sins of the flash including the taking of many wives, David also committed the sin of pride by initiating a census. David repented of his sins and was forgiven by God and was still a man after God’s heart. Nevertheless, there was a price to be paid. Not only did 70,000 die as a result of the census, David’s house was dysfunctional with incest and his sons rebelling against him.

Should a Christian be circumcised? Why? (or why not?) 532-1 - 7 - 5

In more recent years there has been a move to marginalize Jews by the media promoting male circumcision as child abuse. I believe in one article male circumcision was compared to female circumcision practiced in some Islamic countries. There is no comparison as male circumcision is done in a sanitary manner with sharp instruments whereas female circumcision is sometimes done with a sharp stone and represents a mutilation of the female genitalia.
“And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. Genesis” 17:13

While circumcision may be a manifestation of a covenant between Jews and God, it makes sense medically; benefits include but are not limited to:

• A decreased risk of urinary tract infections.
• A reduced risk of sexually transmitted diseases in men.
• A reduced risk of cervical cancer in female sex partners.

Circumcision among the Gentiles is usually performed on the first or second day after birth. Among the Jewish population, circumcision is performed on the eighth day. Circumcision being done during the eighth day of a baby's life is optimum with respect to blood clotting, a point seemingly missed in the Gentile world.

In my opinion, male circumcision should be done for medical reasons regardless of religious persuasion. However if male circumcision is done through some desire to conform to Jewish beliefs this would be placing oneself under the law.

What have you gained practically from 1st Chronicles? 512 - 7 - 5

As one who has spent some time doing family history research I am in awe of the early chapters of l chronicles. Chapter 1 verse one starts with Adam and in verse four lists the four post flood surviving males.

1:1 Adam, Sheth, Enosh,
1:2 Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered,
1:3 Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech,
1:4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

After that the genealogy absolutely explodes. It truly is a remarkable feat of record-keeping. And who could forget that the gospel is written in the names of the direct line from Adam to Noah.

Following the intensity of these genealogies we come to the story of King Saul. And with King Saul we can see a man who was very blessed by God but who did not act in accordance to the commands of God. After Saul’s death David reigned over the whole of Israel. Although King David could have ascended to the throne earlier by taking advantage of the opportunity he had to kill King Saul, he refused to as Saul was Anointed of God.

King David was not without fault and committed sins both of the flash and pride. For these he repented and God forgave him. However, the sin of pride in taking a census of the people was not without consequences for his people. There also were consequences of the sin of the flesh with Bathsheba as her grandfather was involved in a plot to overthrow King David.

King David wanted to build a temple for God but was not allowed to as he was a man of war and shed much blood. Though blocked from building the temple, King David documented the temple design as dictated by God and funded its construction by his son Solomon.
A comparison of King Saul and King David is a lesson in how much better life goes when one is in obedience to and in fellowship with God. From King David we learned that our sins can be forgiven if we repent of them. However, we also learned that there are consequences to our sins. We see how King David accepted a secondary role in the construction of the temple and excelled in the preparation for it.

In this session, what “proofs” does Chuck give about “Pre-Trib” rapture? What view do you hold? 512 - 6 -7

The four and 20 elders represent the raptured Church and John sees them in heaven before the scroll is opened. Add to this, there are numerous Scriptures that strongly suggest that the Church will be removed prior to the start of the seven-year Tribulation. However, much as I’m praying for a pre-trib Rapture I have a question concerning Revelation 12:5-6, “She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.”

The woman is Israel fleeing after the desecration of the Temple as the Son of Prediction breaks his covenant with Israel after 3 ½ years. The Son of the woman/Israel is Jesus and if His ascension to the Father represents the Church, could this be mid-trib rapture? Daniel also prophesies this as the time of Jacob’s troubles. Daniel 9:27, “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

However, a mid-trib rapture goes against The Doctrine of Imminence as we are we are to expect Jesus to come for His Church at any moment. So except for the above verses, I hold to the pre-tribulation point of view. The Rapture could occur anytime as all conditions have been met. No one knows the hour….however, I hope it’s soon. I attend Bible believing churches that work to bring non-believers into the Kingdom so one day we will be on our way to meet the Lord in the clouds.

While the Church will most likely be spared the Tribulation, we will likely go thought persecution even here in the United States. Our support of Israel is waning so God may take/ is taking His hand of protection from us.

I'm not sure what inheritance and rewards I will receive as I face the master, however, I will likely qualify for a crown of righteousness. As Paul awaited his approaching execution he wrote in 2 Timothy 4:8, "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

Grant Phillips of the Rapture Ready website has this to say, “The Church will not go through the Tribulation.”
This is a link to his article, “Will the Church Go through the Tribulation?” http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips95.html
Good reading.

Why was David prevented from building the Temple? What did he do in response? 512 - 6 -1

King David considered the incongruity of his magnificent home while God/ the Ark of the Covenant resided in a tent. King David shared his thoughts about building a temple with the prophet Nathan who initially thought it was a good idea. God told Nathan that David was not to build the Temple, rather his son would. David had been a man of war. In reading second 2 Samuel 7 it appears that rather than wanting a house for Himself, God wanted to establish the Davidic dynasty.

2 Samuel 7, “⁵ Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? ⁶ Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. ⁷ In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?”

Samuel 7, “¹²And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. ¹⁴ I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: ¹⁵ But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. ¹⁶ And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.”
David’s son Solomon was to build the Temple. David accepted the Lord’s direction and proceeded to procure materials for magnificent temple.1 Chronicles 22 details the great preparation that David undertook.

What actually happens during "Communion"? Do you feel it? 532-1 - 6- 5

Holy Communion is just that Holy Communion with our Lord Jesus, a time to reflect on how blessed we are. The breaking of bread is symbolic of the breaking of the body of Jesus both as He was beaten nearly to death and as He hung on the cross. The wine or grape juice is symbolic of the blood that Jesus shed both during His beating and while on the cross. As members of his Church, we are covered by his blood. We have been justified by the “Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.”

Several years ago I attended a church in Bullhead City, Arizona. Holy Communion was celebrated but in my opinion in a very unworthy manner. First the wafers were passed out while people stood around talking’s. As soon as an individual had his or her wafer it was immediately swallowed. The same with the grape juice. No pausing to remember Jesus’s broken body and shed blood.

The pastor of the church I’ve attended quotes from l Corinthians. Not only is this a very sacred celebration, a warning is given by the pastor to not take part in Holy Communion in an unworthy manner.

l Corinthians, “23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.”

When I celebrate Holy Communion I will hold the wafer/ grape juice in both hands and say a prayer of gratitude over it as the wafer/ grape juice is distributed to the whole congregation. I do not take the celebration lightly as it is a reminder of the free gift of grace Jesus provided by His horrific suffering.

Why was David’s census so displeasing to God? 512 - 5 -3

Acts 13:22, “And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.”

David may have been a man after God’s heart, however, it didn’t keep him from incurring God’s displeasure from time to time. After King David became ruler over rather a vast empire he decided to take a census. In the Book of Numbers we read that the people were numbered at God's command. That said, David has no such dictates from God to take a census. By performing a Census David was giving glory to himself rather than to God. Pride, the sin most hated by God. Add to that, David was relying on the force of sheer numbers rather than on God.

Prior to reading this account I would have thought David’s adultery with the married Bathsheba and arranging the murder of her husband would count is far worse sins by God than the taking of a census. Interestingly enough, it seems that these were considered to be personal sins on the part of David and not as worthy of God’s displeasure as relying on a census rather than God.

From David we learn that our actions have consequences. Although he repented his people paid a penalty for his transgression. As with David, when I’m in fellowship with God my life just seems to go very well. Nevertheless, for me pride is a major sin. I've come through some real trials in my life and have done rather well; to God goes the glory as I have been so very blessed by Him.

How many stones did young David pickup when he faced Goliath? Why this number? 512 - 5 - 1

As a lad David led an exemplary life in close fellowship with God. One day his father Jesse sent him to take food to his brothers who were with King Saul fighting the Philistines. David heard the giant Goliath mocking King Saul and his army, I Samuel 17:8-10, “And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.”

It was a boy rather than a man who faced down Goliath. l Samuel 17:26, “And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” David was ridiculed for saying that he would fight Goliath, however, David pointed out that he killed a lion and a bear protecting the sheep in his care. David prevail and went out to meet Goliath.

David had total faith in God and refused any of the armor of Saul which would be placing his dependency on things of man. David faced Goliath with a sling and five stones. David knew that one stone was enough to dispatch Goliath, however, Goliath had four other brothers. Goliath and his brothers were descendants of the fallen angels still around after the flood. And today, “As it was in the days of Noah.”

Why did Jesus have to go to Samaria? What was the reaction in Samaria? 532-1 - 5 - 1

In the nearly 2000 years since the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ millions of Gentiles have accepted Jesus as their Savior while the majority of the Jews reject him as their Messiah. As it is now, so it was in the time that Jesus walked the earth. Jesus fulfilled more than 100 Messianic prophecies from the Old Testament. One of the most amazing is found in the Book of Daniel 9:25, Jesus made his entrance into Jerusalem to the very day predicted from the day Nehemiah was given permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The unschooled fisherman Peter writes “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” ii Peter 1:19-21.

Jesus was led to go to Samaria in adherence to His charge to His disciples in the Great Commission. Matthew 28:19, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” Jesus had a divine appointment with the Samarian woman also known as the woman at the well. Jesus told her about the living water and also about her rather scandalous background. The woman left her water pot and told people in her village, John 4:29 “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”

Later the disciples returned to Jesus as he sat by the well and asked him to eat somethingd. He told them that he wasn’t hungry and that, John 4:32-34, “But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

John 4:39-42, “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”


“The Saviour of the world” and yet John 1:11, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” 

Explain how the fourfold witnesses are relative to today. To you? 532-1 - 5 - 6

According to CM the Fourfold Witness are:
1) John the Baptist
2) The Works
3) The Father
4) The Scriptures

In my opinion, it is difficult to treat these for four witnesses as separate. John the Baptist was a witness to Jesus as the Lamb of God and as God’s chosen one. Luke writes of a voice that came down from heaven confirming Jesus as “His son.”

John 1:29, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

John 1:32-34, “Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

Luke 3:22, “and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Jesus fulfilled more than 100 Messianic prophecies from the Old Testament. One of the most impressive is found in the Book of Daniel 9:25, Jesus made his entrance into Jerusalem to the very day predicted from the day Nehemiah was given permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

ll Peter 1:19-21, “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

The witness of Jesus as the Messiah is just as relevant today as 2000 years ago and in the thousands of years of prophecy before that. Jesus warned us again and again about false teachers. This warning was reinforced in Ii Peter 2:1, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”

Why is it so important that we remember His glorious works? Share some of His glorious works in your life with your classmates. 512 - 4 - 7

Why is it important that we remember His glorious works? To me this is almost a moot question as how could I not witness to His glorious work? When I walk in the desert or drive in the Arizona Mountains there are miles of God's handiwork laid out before me. Here in the desert the stars appear to be so near that one could reach out and touch them. It is said so well in Job chapter 9.
We serve an awesome God who is jealous of his creation. Paul tells us in Romans 1:20, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” A few verses later Paul shares the consequences for a society that worships the created and not the Creator, “26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” With same-sex marriage and the homosexual agenda of promoting the homosexual lifestyle as normal It certainly seems that God’s judgment is being realized.

My life seems to go best when I'm at arms’ distance from the confusion of today's world. Due to family needs, I spent nearly 18 months in Southern California where it seems like people live on top of each other. For me it was nearly impossible to appreciate God's glorious work in such a concentration of humanity.

In the early 1980s I was living across the bay from San Francisco and would often spend my summer weekends camping in the Sierras. After a stressful week at work to be able to withdraw into the womb of creation was very uplifting. During one of these weekends in the Sierras I was able to witness to hundreds of thousands via the Today Show on NBC. There was a classical music festival held for several weekends in Bear Valley, California. The Today crew recorded three hours of interviews and music which they distilled down to a four-minute segment. Since it seemed that I was the only tent camper attending the festival I was chosen to be interviewed. During a very short interview I was asked if the Sierras were an appropriate place for a concert. I can still remember looking at the man interviewing me like he had two heads and said something like “What better place, this is God's Cathedral. Full disclosure, now I’m years past sleeping on the ground in a tent and much prefer a comfortable bed in my van.

For now I love to kick back and admire the His glorious works as manifested in the stars which are shown to great advantage here in Arizona.
Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork,” is a favorite of mine.
Also, Job chapter 9 says it so well. Just a few representative verses:
⁷ Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.
⁸ Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
⁹ Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

How do you interpret the 3rd Commandment? What does "Ambassadorship" mean to you? How are you an ambassador for Christ? 512 - 4 - 6

Exodus 20:7 “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”

The third commandment is not about swearing, rather taking the Lord’s name in vain has to do with being a poor ambassador for God. I've heard it said that the greatest ambassador for God since the apostle Paul is Billy Graham. Billy Graham reached millions of people during his numerous crusades. He was never reticent about salvation being through the blood of Christ. He preaches the cross of Christ unlike many of the church leaders of today who deviate from the simple message of Jesus as well as being tolerant of immorality.

Paul tells us in ll Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”


I talk to people about the simple message of justification by faith: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 KJV.

In addition to witnessing that we are justified through Christ and that He is the only way to the father I attempt to be a better Christian apologists by being informed of other worldviews. The Issachar Track course I 605: Worldview, Research, and Analysis was very informative concerning the seven worldviews. These include Atheism, Deism, Pantheism, Panentheism, Finite, Godism, Polytheism and Theism. It was demonstrated that Theism is the only logical worldview and would include Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Since Judaism and Islam reject the divinity of Jesus Christ, these religions also fall by the wayside leaving Christianity is the logical worldview.

A few weeks ago I was having a yard sale and got into a discussion of beliefs with a potential customer. He proudly said that he was a Theist but didn’t believe in the Bible. I mentioned the many proofs of the inerrancy of the Bible including the Greek Septuagint completed about 270 BC. I mentioned the many prophecies fulfilled by Jesus that had been confirmed in the Septuagint nearly 300 years before the birth of Christ. I could see that this individual had no readiness of mind to even consider the truth of the Bible. I recognize the fact that although I seek to share my belief in Jesus sometimes it’s better to just let it go and hope that you have planted a little seed that will hopefully germinate.


I maintain a blog that’s had about ten thousands views in the last few years. If I can influence just a few people to seek the kingdom I will feel blessed.

What does John 3:16 mean to you personally? 532-1 - 4 -2

John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Romans 5:7-9, “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

That our awesome God would step out of eternity, incarnate as a mortal man and suffer a horrific death to provide us with the gift of justification is mindboggling. John 3:13, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”

Jesus walked the land for three years clothed in homespun and wearing sandals. How humble when compared to the royal regalia of Catholic priests and even many Protestant ministers.
While Jesus was sinless, he didn't seem to be concerned about appearing holier than thou. He was not above washing the feet of his disciples as a lesson in humility, a lesson I need to learn. Jesus was criticized for his lack of dignity by eating with tax collectors and others considered unsavory by the temple hierarchy. Jesus cleansed the temple more than once. The men who walked with him for those three short years couldn't seem to grasp the comparison Jesus made between himself and Jonah in the belly of the whale for three days. They just couldn't seem to grasp His pending death and resurrection.

The crucifixion of Christ explained a strange occurrence from the Old Testament. John 3:14-15, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Just as gazing upon the bronze serpent saved the lives of the people, embracing Jesus on the cross gives us real life. Not only did Jesus give us the gift of salvation through his shed blood, he has provided us with an example of how to live as we progress along the path of sanctification.

Give examples of "the foolishness of God." from your life. 532-1 - 4 -1

For several years God has put it on my heart that not only are we in the end days but that I should be hunkering down and living a more simple and private life. So here I am at the age of 72 about to go totally off the power grid. Some may recall that I had written in The introduce yourself thread that I have five acres of high desert dirt in North Eastern Arizona that will be my Summer home. It is totally off the grid in the only water you have is whatever you haul in. There is a water co-op I can join but I still would have to haul water from the well. So is this the foolishness of God or the foolishness of Sally?

Actually I lived off the grid for two years in the 90s and I loved it. There is something wonderful about knowing that you are depending on God's sun for your electrical power.

Not satisfied with living off the grid in the summers only, I purchased a pass for the Bureau of land management (BLM) camping area here near Quartzsite, Arizona for the 2014–2015 season. I'm in the process of transitioning from a trailer park in town to the BLM and once again living off the grid.
If this is foolish of God it seems that it's affecting other people. I'm noting that more and more people are sensitive to an awareness that something major is about to happen and are looking for a simpler life. Young people as well as retired people are building “Tiny homes.” These are homes with small footprints and often off the power grid.


My family certainly thought it was foolishness when I opted to be obedient to the nudging of the Holy Spirit and undergo full immersion baptism. Acts 2:37-38, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 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.” My mother's feelings were hurt because as I had been baptized as a baby and now as a senior citizen I was going to once again be baptized. My older brother thought I was doing it out of arrogance. Families, they certainly do provide us with a learning and growing experience.

What other examples relate to “the third day”? Use Scripture in your answer. 532-1 - 3 - 5

Three is the number of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

In Genesis 1:13, “And the evening and the morning were the third day.” The third day of creation was a day of double blessing. The third day was the day that Abraham saw the area he was to sacrifice his son Isaac. Genesis 22:4, “When on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.” Prophetic of the crucifixion of Jesus and the resurrection on the third day.

There were occasions when the third day was not a day of double blessings. Genesis 34:25, “And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.” Here some of Jacob’s sons did not honor the agreement made by their father, nevertheless if it had not happened Jacob and his family may have remained in the city and not keep themselves separate as commanded by God.

Exodus 19:16, “And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.” The people were too terrified to be in the presence God and lost a wonderful opportunity.

The book of Leviticus details much richer while in the third day appears to be of major importance. As one example, Leviticus 7:18, “And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.
As with Leviticus, the third day is called out in the rituals detailed in the Book in Numbers as well. 

Numbers 19:19, “And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.”
These are just a few of the 50+ references in the Bible to the third day.

With the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus’s three days later, the third day place major importance in the New Testament writings. 1 Corinthians 15:4, “And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 

So much was written in the New Testament about the third day dealing with the resurrection of Jesus.

Matthew 16:21, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”

Matthew 17:23, “And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry."

Matthew 20:19, “And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.”

Mark 9:31, “For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.”

Mark 10:34, “And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.”

Luke 9:22, “Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.”

And we read of the insecurity of the temple leaders. Matthew 27:64, “Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.”

Correlation between the Ashes of the Red Heifer and the cleansing of the Temple 532-1 - 3 -4

We learn from numbers 19 that a female red heifer without spot, etc., would be ceremoniously slain, blood sprinkled and the ashes stored for use either at the temple or in more remote areas of worship. The ashes of the red heifer, when mixed ceremoniously with water was considered "Water of purification."
CM's treatment of the water of purification, its relevance to the red heifer and the cleansing of the temple was a revelation to me. I had always assumed that the water in the storage jars was used for washing the feet of the guests. Thanks to this week’s lesson I understand that Jesus used the jars meant for the water of purification/ religious use as vessels for wine.

Jesus performed his first miracle during the wedding at Capernaum when he turned the aforementioned water into wine. I doubt that the temple leaders knew of the use Jesus had made of the water purification jars and would have considered it an abomination. However, to me this was Jesus at his best, simplifying the many laws into the redeeming knowledge that we are covered by the blood of Jesus shed at Calvary.

This transformation of the water purification into wine, in my opinion, was most definitely a preview of the wine used during the Last Supper. 1 Corinthians 11:25, “After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.”

John 2:10, “And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.” Can one even imagine the home Jesus has/is building for us? We are just “passing through” this world as we wait for that “good wine” to come.

So many lessons to learn. Matthew 23 is a favorite of mine as Jesus exposes the hypocrisies of the temple leaders, e.g., verse 27 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.”

Jesus was a force to be reckoned with, John 2:15-16, “And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.” Once more, this points out the hypocrisy of the temple leaders; adhering to the law such as all the rituals involved in the water purification yet turning the temple into a house of merchandise.

Did Samuel really appear through the Witch of Endor? 512 - 3 -2

I believe it was actually Samuel conjured by the witch of Endor. The witch saw Samuel, however, King Saul only heard him. 1 Samuel 28:19, “Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”

Normally I would write the episode off as the witch being a total fraud or the spirit that she conjured up being from the demonic realm. However, the spirit called up was of God as he was referred to as Samuel in the Bible. Also the fear on the part of the witch lends credence to the spirit actually being Samuel. 1 Samuel 28:13-14, “And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.”

Years ago a group of friends tried table tipping in a rather childish attempt to contact the dead. As we sat around the table with our eyes closed and fingers touching the table it started rocking and rolling. I opened my eyes and observed that our hostess was moving the table as I could see her hands move with it. The hostess was a very good friend but seemed to be hyper sensitive to suggestion. I didn’t realize back then that we were opening ourselves to the dark forces. We were very lucky as nothing negative seemed to come from our experimenting with table tipping. I shudder when I look back on those get-togethers thinking about how we were unknowingly inviting evil to join us. 

What happened to Saul? Why did the Lord slay him? What were his transgressions? What lessons can we learn from Saul? 512 - 3 - 1

As often happens as one gains great power, pride raises its ugly. King Saul seemed to believe he was above obeying God's word. Not only did he become irreverent, he became presumptuous and impatient with waiting for the dictates of God as interpreted by the prophet Samuel.

1 Samuel 19 tells of King Saul’s fall from grace in part for failing to follow God’s instructions spoken through Samuel. Not only did Saul not wait for God’s guidance, he failed to fulfill God directions; 1 Samuel 15:3, “Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” Saul disobeyed God so we read in 1 Samuel 19:35, “And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel. “

Later when Saul was in need of the deceased Samuel’s guidance he broke another of God’s directives, Leviticus 19:32, “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.”
In 1 Samuel 28 we read that King Saul called on the witch of Endor and asked her to conjure the spirit of Samuel. The witch knew of the God of Saul and His prohibition concerning the practice of necromancers, however, Saul ignored the witch’s warning. Samuel appeared to the witch but Saul only heard his voice in fulfillment of 1 Samuel 19:35. 1 Samuel 28:19, “Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”

1 Chronicles 10:13-14, “So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; And enquired not of the Lord: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.”

The lessons learned from King Saul are many including:

1. To again quote CM, “God says what he means and means what he says.”

2. We are not to seek after guidance from mediums, fortune tellers and their ilk.

3. We are to seek after the council of God, not of man

4. We are to know and obey the scriptures

What was needed to bypass the blood curse of Jeconiah? Give three Old Testament references where we find the solution to this problem. 512 - 2 - 3

Jeremiah 22:30, “Thus saith the Lord, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.”

One of the many patterns In the Bible is the Scarlet Thread that starts in Genesis with the seed of the woman. Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

King Jeconiah, a descendant of King David through Solomon promoted idol worship incurring the disfavor of our righteous God. So God pronounced a blood curse on the line of Jeconiah, saying that none of his descendants would ever sit on the throne of David. This meant that no Messiah could come from a male in the line of David as there was now a blood curse pronounced on the only males left in the direct royal line.

It is always amazing how God sets in motion an event that will have great important at a later date. Centuries before the blood curse was pronounced we read of the daughters of Zelophehad. These sisters had no brother for their father to leave his goods and property to. So they petitioned Moses Numbers 27: 4, “Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.” Moses took their petition before the Lord. And the Lord said, Numbers 27: 8, “And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.” When the daughter married her father would adopt his son-in-law as his son.

This Levirate marriage was codified in Deuteronomy 25:5-6, “If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her. And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.”

Thus God solved the future problem of the blood curse on Jeconiah. Jesus’ mother Mary had no brother so her father could adopt her husband Joseph, the legal father of Jesus. Joseph was in the line of King David but was tainted by the blood curse. Mary was in the line of King David through his son Nathan. Mary was the biological mother of Jesus born of her “seed” as predicted thousands of years before in the Garden of Eden.

How has the perception of the Metacosm been useful or relevant to you personally? 532-1 - 2 - 3

So how is the perception of the Metacosm relevant to me personally? As a child I always seem to be a little bit out of step with the mainstream. At the age what is now called middle school I developed an absolute crush on Albert Einstein. I remember doing a report on Einstein and added a freehand sketch of his face on the cover. Hopefully what I wrote was more accurate than my visual representation of him which turned out to look more like Stalin that Einstein.

This infatuation led me to read a simplified version of Einstein's Theory of Relativity as well as other books such as “The Expanding Universe.” What I recall is that the Special Theory of Relativity had rather simple equation giving me a false sense of understanding. So more than half a century ago I had hopes of someday solving the Unified Field Theory.

As I moved along to high school mathematics I found that I wasn't nearly as intelligent as I once thought and certainly not destined to solve the Unified Field Theory. If I had any pride in my mental abilities, college courses in calculus, theory of matrices and differential equations were very humbling. Very humbling indeed regardless of the pride I had due to how well I did on math aptitude testing. Pride before a fall...
Now decades later I so enjoy Chuck Missler and his thinking way outside the box. His discussion of the Metacosm truly resonates with me; that perhaps I actually was close to a truth that I couldn't quite visualize or verbalize those many years ago.
That said, I’ve long argued that given the speed of light visitors traveling to earth was very unlikely. With the exception of our sun, the nearest star is more than four light years away. I added that what some call ETs are likely a bleed-through from another dimension. I’ve updated my bleed-through theory to be more Biblically correct. We are told in Genesis 6:4 “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of the human beings and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.” Legends of the offspring’s of these unholy unions are told throughout the planet and cultures. Also, rather than bleed-through from other dimensions, I am more inclined to agree with some of the conclusions of Tom Horne. There have been a number of people in occult circles trying to open a portal to other dimensions. Unfortunately they just may have succeeded.


It is my belief, reinforced by the writings of Mr. Horn, that people can open themselves to these evil beings and invite abduction. There are many rather consistence stories of abductions and being probed, the fallen ones experimenting with DNA? To me, keeping our thoughts focused on God is our best protection.

How does the symbol of the Eagle relate the history of Israel in regards to their enemies? What might the future hold? 512 - 2 - 6

Added later: 

Our country does seem to be imploding and to repeat myself, I attribute this to our losing God's favor due to our shabby treatment of Israel. I posted the following as a reply to a discussion question in another course, however, it seems appropriate to repeat it here considering the temporary fix coming out of Washington DC.
I was reading www.raptureready.com this morning when I came across this:
"House floor reporter (stenographer) Dianne Reidy is rushed off the floor during Wednesday night's votes on a bill reopening the government and raising the debt ceiling. Door keepers and guards escort Reidy into an elevator off the House floor, where this sound was recorded."

https://soundcloud.com/toddzwillich-1/floor1-101612-wav
Part of her statement was:
“He will not be mocked. He will not be mocked – don’t touch me – he will not be mocked,” Reidy shouted as stunned lawmakers tried to calm her and pull her away from the podium.
The greatest deception here is this is not one nation under God. It never was…the Constitution would not have been written by the Freemasons. They go against God,” Reidy said. You cannot serve two masters!"
Mrs. Reidy's added comment about the Freemasons is interesting timimg considering the recent release of Tom Horn's book "Zenith 2016: Did Something Begin In The Year 2012 That Will Reach Its Apex In 2016?"


I understand that Mrs. Reidy was taken to a hospital and later released. I would like to think that perhaps a few of our Washington folks paid attention to what Ms. Reddy said, truly God will not be mocked!

Why (or how) is baptism important to you? Have you been baptized? 532-1 - 2 -5

I was raised in a conservative protestant church and baptized as a baby; an event of which I have no memory. I attended Sunday school for as long as I can remember and sang in the junior and the senior choir. After college I wandered far off the path, however, my early love of Jesus kept me from becoming totally lost, thank you Lord Jesus.

Years later I started attending the First Baptist Church of Quartzsite, Arizona. In addition to the church services I went to prayer meetings and Bible studies. I can still remember vividly sitting in the Bible study when Acts 2:37-38 was brought up, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 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.”

I took the Bible study down a rabbit hole by asking how was it possible to repent of sin before being baptized as an infant. I found out about full immersion baptism only after you were old enough to understand the commitment being made. Once I started researching the subject I felt that my Christian walk was incomplete. I know that we are saved by grace through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ but I was convicted of the necessity of a full immersion baptism as an act of obedience. Well I opened a can of worms with my family. My mother was hurt and said “I had you baptized as a baby and I gave you your Baptismal Certificate years ago.” My brother ragged on me for a couple months about it and thought I was being disrespectful of the family and generally being my rather weird self.

One fall when I came back to Quartzsite for the winner I found out that there was going to be a special baptism service at the Baptist Church; the first one a few years. I talked to Pastor John and after consultation he agreed to include me in the baptismal service.

Again, I didn't doubt my salvation but I just was totally convicted of the requirement for an adult baptism to confirm my faith. Through immersion baptism I was symbolically buried and resurrected with Christ.


Ephesians 2:7-9, ^“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

How can a Jewish scholar reconcile Jeremiah 22:30? 512 - 1- 2

Jeremiah 22:30, “Thus saith the Lord, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.”

So how can a Jewish scholar reconcile Jeremiah 22:30? By recognizing that the Messiah would be the seed of the woman. The Jews wanted another conquering King such as David as their Messiah and could not conceive that he would come as a suffering servant. Had they thought through Isaiah 61:1-2, perhaps they would have recognized that the Messiah would fulfill both roles; as a suffering servant and in the later days as a conquering king.
In Moses’ time the precedence had been established that a father who had no son could adopt his son-in-law as his heir. Such was the case with Mary and Joseph, both from the line of David. Joseph descended from King David’s son Solomon thereby incurring the blood curse disqualifying his seed from sitting on the throne of David. However, Joseph would be the legal father of Jesus. Mary descended from King David’s son Nathan and was free of the blood curse as would be her seed, Jesus.

In 7 AD Caesar Augustus appointed Caponius Procurator who in turn removed judicial authority from Judea. The scepter refers to tribal identity and self-determination when applying capital punishment, jus gladii, “The right of the sword.” So the temple priests cried that God broke His word in Genesis 49:10; that the scepter had departed Judah. Genesis 49:10, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”


Had the Sanhedrin had really believed the prophecies they would have known that Shiloh had come and was a child living in Israel in 7 AD. Prophecies such as that brought by the angel Gabriel to Daniel, a prophecy detailing when the Messiah would enter Jerusalem. By counting the years from the rebuilding of the walls of the city until the entrance it should have been obvious that the Messiah was alive in 7 AD.

Discuss the purity of the Bible. Cite the research of Robert Dick Wilson.512 - 1 - 4

Is the Bible the inerrant Word of God is a popular question and one that I have responded to in the past. My long held belief that the Bible is the Word of God has only been increased by my studies here at KI. To repeat past comments, “That the Bible is an Integrated Message System is attested to by the many patterns seen throughout the Bible. Animal sacrifices started in the garden, continued through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God on the cross and will be re-initiated during the millennium. That the Bible is provable from outside our time domain is verified by hundreds of prophecies fulfilled over the eons. God is outside of linear time as we know it and knows the end from the beginning. To me these two attributes of the Bible are critical to the understanding of God's word because one approaches the Bible with a more open and receptive mind. It also enables the Christian apologist to stand firm on biblical truth when debating those who are in unbelief.”

Further, prophecy is history written in advance. There are many so-called holy books and books of prophecy, however, their declarations remain unfulfilled. 2 Peter 1:19-21 attests to the validity of the Word, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

As for those who rely solely on the power of reason, author Robert Jastrow ended his book “God and the Astronomers” with the telling line. “For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”


Based on his extensive years of research and as a linguist of great renown, Robert Dick Wilson stated “I defy any man on the ground of evidence…there is not a page in the OT about which you need have any doubt.” Mr. Wilson’s scholarly approach to his research should eliminate any question(s) concerning his conclusions.

Yes, I think God created the universe in 6 days. Perhaps the Gap Theory?. 532-1 - 1 -1

 In his book “Learn the Bible in 24 Hours” Chuck Missler provides technical example after technical example of a Young Earth and a Young Universe. He also suggests the Gap Theory after the earth became without form between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. Lucifer rebelled and took a third of the angels with him and the earth became his domain.

Several years ago I bought a DVD collection By Dr. Dino including “The Age of the Earth”, “The Garden of Eden” and more. There are images of petrified trees standing upright through geological strata. Fish fossils nicely laid out in rock and here I thought that dead fish float. In fairly recent times Mt. St. Helene developed lots of strata within a few decades of its eruption.

There is so much about the age and properties of the universe in the Bible, to quote just a few:

Isaiah 64:1 said space can be torn, Psalm 102, "space can be worn out like a garment."

Job 9:8, "He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea."

We live in a young earth created by God in six earth days. We did not descend from apes. Evolution is a false religion that has caused great harm. To me a young earth goes hand in hand with Creation. If you have a young earth than it follows that life has also been around for a short time. 

From another post written nearly two years ago, "Was there really a Big Bang from nothing to something? Is the Universe really 16 billion years old? Did our ancestors really swing through the trees? Did we really evolve from some primordial soup? Does the universe tend towards negative entropy as would be evidenced by lower forms of life evolving into higher forms violating the second law of thermodynamics? Is the fossil record that depends on the Geologic time scale correct? But does not the fossil record allow geologists to date and compare rocks across geological time?

Sounds like Circular Reasoning:

Strata are dated by the fossils, then.

Fossils are dated by the strata.”

I believe the universe was created by God as described in the Bible. The Bible is history written in advance and has been proven time and again. My God is an awesome God who stands outline time!

there life on other planets? Do you think it is sinful or sinless? 532-1 - 01 - 7

Given the limitation of the current speed of light, interplanetary travel very likely would be possible only through portals. As for what is referred to as ETs, IMO these are from the very sinful demonic realm and are connected to the fallen Angels and/or their offspring passing through portals into our dimension. The extra-Biblical Enoch 6:1-2 and 7:1-6 makes for good reading concerning the fallen Angels and their offspring. Genesis 6:4, “There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”

As for the question of life on other planets, I do not have the arrogance to limit our awesome God in His creation. That said, we are unique in that we are created in the image and likeness of God. Add to that the fact of the anthropic principle that demonstrates that life such as ours on earth is very unique in this vast universe. Just a few examples of the anthropic principles follow:

Axial Tilt The moon stabilizes our planet and it its tilt and rotation; without it, no complex life would be possible on Earth.

Surface gravity If the surface gravitational pull were stronger only small forms of life would be possible. A weaker pull would allow our atmosphere to escape.

Thickness of the crust Plate tectonics play a major role in shaping the earth. The book “Rare Earth” has great detail about plate tectonics and continental drift.

Electromagnetic Force EMF holds the atom together; slightly weaker and the nuclei would not hold together, slightly stronger and heavier elements would not be possible. These forces do so much more and are in a perfect balance,

Distance from the Sun. Our planet is situated in a very limited band within the solar system where life is possible; five percent closer to the sun and we would have a run-away greenhouse effect like the planet Venus with temperatures reaching 900 degree Fahrenheit. Twenty percent further away from the sun and we would be covered with a cloud of carbon dioxide and become a frozen wasteland like the planet Mars. As a result of our position in the Solar System, we are also protected by large outer planets.”

The late astrophysicist and atheist Fred Hoyle admitted. "A commonsense interpretation of the facts suggests that a superlntellect has monkeyed with physics. as well as chemistry and biology. and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about In nature."

As for me, I am in awe of the indisputable proof of design in this planet we call home. Statically we are unique and blessed to have our God designed home. Given what an awesome planet Earth is, one can only imagine the home Jesus has been working on for us these nearly two thousand years.

Added later:

As for portals, Tom Horn writes very persuasively about them with extensive documentation. I find Mr. Horn's writings to be very interesting but not necessarily good bedtime reading. While I was spending my month sabbatical off the power grid in northern Arizona I was reading some of his writings so before I would go to sleep I would vocalically repudiate every source of evil in the name of Jesus. I just finished reading an interesting book of fiction, "Longwalkers: the return of the Nephilim" by Stephan Quayle. An interesting point that was brought out by Mr.Horn and others is that Christians seemed not to experience so-called alien abductions unless they either invited them or they agreed to them. Others reported that when they cried out to Jesus the ETs/demons immediately departed.

Also, I should have included some of the resources which I quoted above. As is usual for me I ran up against the 500 word limit. So here are some very excellent resources that I drew upon in this DQ plus others that I've used in other renderings.

References:

“The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos Is Designed for Discovery”, Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay W. Richards“Technology and the Bible”, Chuck Missler
“Genesis”, Chuck Missler
“DNA by Design” Stephen C. Meyer, PhD
”Rare Earth: Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe” Peter D. Ward and Donald Brownlee
Holy Bible King James Version [KJV]